The Confrontation Alternative
by Nebuleste
Summary: A certain theoretical physicist has his life saved by a Nebraskan blonde whom he has never met before, and things escalate from there. AU & OOC
1. Penny

**A/N:**

**This is my first fanfic and I had to make it about Shenny.  
**

_ "To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves." -Federico Garcia Lorca_

"That's the last of it." Penny said as she placed one of the lighter boxes on the floor before shutting the door behind her. Tyler made walked behind the couch to his blonde girlfriend and slipped his right arm behind her waist. He was almost a foot taller than her, enabling him to rest his chin on the top of her head. They stood in silence and enjoying the peacefulness of the environment. "Thank you for coming with me to Pasadena."

Tyler leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'm just worried that the whole acting thing might not work out so well for you. It's hard making it big but it doesn't kill you for trying, right?" Penny sighed at his comment. She was thankful that he moved down to California from Nebraska with her, helping her with the costs at the same time. Though she was a bit annoyed whenever he mentions how she might not be successful as Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, or Sandra Bullock. All her life, she dreamed of having her name shown on the small screen, big screen if she was lucky.

Living in Omaha wasn't helping her acting career at all. She only appeared on stage at high school productions, and was twice casted for a lead role. If she wanted it to work, she needed to move out of her parents' home and chase her dreams in California. For months, she had planned her life accordingly when she sets foot in the city of angels. She looked up different acting classes and agents back home. Penny decided that she was going to take a waitressing job at the Cheesecake Factory for at least six months before, if it works out as she hopes, becoming a big star. She made arrangements to start her job when she arrives, wanting to earn as much money as possible.

She felt bad for taking some of Tyler's money to further her career. They were dating for almost seven years, meeting at some restaurant the day she graduated high school. Her parents wanted her to attend college and get a degree. She did enroll college, but she failed most of the classes and dropped out soon after. Penny took up small parts in several plays, and those roles didn't really do much to her resume. When Penny tried to convince Tyler to come with her to California, she expected him to break up with her at that exact moment. He wasn't the type of guy to drop everything he has worked for just for some aspiring actress. His father was the CEO of a company and had hired him to manage one of the smaller offices. Penny, while she waited for callbacks that never seem to came, worked as a secretary for him.

Tyler's family wasn't really happy about him being in a relationship with a college dropout failure with nothing to lose. At first, they forbade him from seeing her; suspicious that she was only after the money. After he introduced her to the family and spent more time with them, they had grown to accept her, but had thought that she wasn't the right one. Penny couldn't take the money that he was about to spend to renew their lives with her, and before they moved, she began to doubt if he truly wanted to leave everything behind. Tyler promised her that he would do anything, and he was arranged to work at one of the offices his dad owned in California.

Things started to fall in their places, and she couldn't be any happier. Here she was on the west coast with a man that deeply cared for her and even though he wasn't as supportive as she wanted him to be, it was enough for her for him to help her financially. She unboxed all of the framed pictures first and smiled while seeing the captured memories that she would love to relive. "What do you want for lunch?" Tyler asked, as he opened one of the heavier boxes containing their bed frame.

"I can't eat lunch with you, remember? I'm starting my first shift in a few hours, and I just want to take a nap before leaving." Penny sighed. As much as she wanted to have lunch with him, she needed to start working as soon as possible. Moving out here made her less lazy, and she was actually anticipating work. She didn't know what was in store, but she hoped it was easy like her secretary job back at home. "Can you drop me off to work though? I still hadn't made time to rent a car."

Tyler nodded. "Do you want me to pick you up as well? What time does your shift end?" Penny thought for a second, trying to remember her schedule.

"I'm pretty sure it ends about four in the afternoon." They took a seat on the couch and Tyler's phone chimed, telling him that he had received an email.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to be able to pick you up. The guys at the office want to meet me as soon as possible and I really want to start off with a good impression for them. I'll try and cancel." Tyler started to type another email.

Penny held his wrist tightly, causing him to look up at her. Tyler was muscular, like some of the meat heads she dated before, but he usually kept them hidden beneath businessmen type suits. It made him look more professional. "It's alright. I'll take the bus. Besides, I need to get used to navigating Pasadena on my own before I get a car. It's also a couple minutes away, and I don't mind."

"Fine. But be careful out there. Who knows what danger is in this city. You call me during your break and when you get home, okay?" Tyler requested. He was really concerned with her safety. She smiled and promised him. "Good."

"Okay. Excuse me, I have to take a shower. All this moving is making me feel gross and worn out." She kissed him before dashing into the shower, leaving Tyler to think to himself alone in the living room, surrounded by the yet unopened boxes. _Maybe this wasn't a bad idea after all_, he muttered under his breath, hearing the sound of the water turning on.

* * *

Penny stood in front of the mirror, not enjoying the uniform that she had to wear as a waitress. Her shift started in five minutes, and she already had been told what to do. It seemed simple for her; take the customers' order, request the order in the kitchen, bring the food to the customers, and give them their check when they finished. She was being paid minimum wage, and needed the tips to be big in order to earn enough to pay off a fraction of what Tyler has given to her.

Because of her secretary job, she was able to interact with the customers and sometimes have a little side conversations. Her previous job made her good with people. The tips were fine to her, and she could probably get used to herself being a waitress. Then after the third hour, everything started to go downhill. It was a Saturday, and more families came out to eat. The children were messy and some even throw food at her. Some of her tables needed her to enter the bar area, where most drunk guys would hit on her or even try to touch her. She ran back and forth from table to table, and was very lucky that she didn't mix up any of the orders.

At the end of the day, she was glad she that her shift was finally finished and she could go home. She made about $90 in tips, and she was thinking of having the dinner shift instead, not wanting to endure having little kids create a big mess or having no one come at all during the breakfast shift. It was about four thirty when she left the restaurant, and the bus stop was a few blocks away. She had a half an hour to spend before the bus arrived, but decided to head to the stop.

She was walking down the streets with a purse in hand and a bag with her Cheesecake Factory uniform that she wanted to throw out or burn so much. It was unflattering and uncomfortable. The uniform was a bit larger for her size, and it caused her to look bulky. The sun was unbearable and she wished that Tyler was available to pick her up, regretting her decision earlier. Penny fished her phone out of her purse, only to be devastated to learn that it had died after forgetting to charge it before she took a nap.

Some of the items behind the window stole her attention. One of which was a shoe store; a very expensive one, too. She fought back and forth before deciding to enter the store and look around. Inside it was air conditioned, and once she walked inside, the cool air brushed off all the sweat away. She pictured herself in every shoe that she thought that was cute. Most of them were really pricey and she could only dream of seeing herself wearing them paired with a matching dress of some sort. Enjoying herself in what she can call "paradise," she forgot that the bus was coming and only five minutes before it was due to arrive was when she started to run to the bus stop.

It had already stopped and she watched passengers get off the bus as new ones waited in line. She ran as fast as she could, almost tripping on the way. Penny began to yell, asking the bus to stop, but it was no use. It pulled into traffic and began to move down the street. She stomped her feet and sighed in exasperation. If it hadn't been for the gold paid of stilettos calling out her name, she could have made it earlier. Without her phone, she was unable to look up the next time the bus would come, so she decided to just wait for it. The buses in Nebraska came once an hour, surely buses in Pasadena should also be.

What she thought would be an hour, turned into two hours, and she was getting impatient. A young business woman was strutting down the street with a phone in hand and a cup of coffee on the other. When she was close enough, Penny asked her to search up the time the bus would get there. The woman's face was mixed with annoyance and disgust, probably not liking the smell of sweat and the messy look Penny had. The day became worse when the woman told Penny that the buses wouldn't stop here anymore because a couple blocks down the Cheesecake Factory, a pipe had burst and they redirected all public transportations to a different route. It was already six pm, and the sun was beginning to set. If she wanted to be home before dark, which was clearly impossible, she had to walk forty minutes to her apartment starting now.

* * *

The air was getting cooler by the minute, and she was glad she wasn't sweating anymore. Penny told herself to rent a car tomorrow, afraid of having this to occur once more. She followed the route that Tyler took her, but she was till unfamiliar so she had to stop once in a while for directions. The forty minute walk seemed to be longer, and at this rate with all the stopping, she would be home at about eight at night. The next set of directions had her take Los Robles Avenue, which she believed was now a few blocks away from her apartment.

_Fine. But be careful out there. Who knows what danger is in this city_. Tyler's words echoed through her mind as the sound of cars driving past her filled the empty noise. Good thing she brought along a bottle of pepper spray and small pocket knife just in case. She passed by a few men and women, but as the night grew dark, less were seen. From a distance, Penny could see the next street she was supposed to take, and so she began to hurry up her walking. She checked her watch and figured that Tyler was about to head home by now, and she expects him to be there in half an hour.

She was walking in front of an apartment building when she heard the faintest noise, but was able to catch her attention. Pausing in the middle of the sidewalk, she tried to listen for it again, but nothing happened. Penny resumed walking when she heard another sound, a little louder than before. Her heart started to beat faster in her chest and many thoughts flew in her mind.

"Help." A broken voice croaked and her head shot up every where to look for the person who asked for her help. She turned her head to the side and back, but she couldn't see anyone near her. "Help me."

"Where are you?" Penny called out as she ran around the street to find the person in dire of help. _Maybe it's a prank. Maybe it's a trap. Maybe someone's hurt_. She couldn't think straight, and began listening for the voice again. "I'm over here." She heard the voice coming from the alley next to the apartment complex so she followed it. Her hand was inside her purse, clutching the pepper spray in case it was to trick her.

Instead of finding a man waiting in the shadows, she was shocked to find a beaten and almost half dead man lying in a pool of blood as he tried to gasp for air. She ran to the man and tried to move him to see where the blood was coming out of, hoping to stop the bleeding that was still happening. "Where's the wound?" She asked him as his breathing became faster and quicker.

There were was a knife wound on his stomach where a gush of blood came out. His face was full of scratches and his right eye was swollen shut. His clothes were torn apart and a couple of brushes ran down his head and hands. There was a long cut on his left leg and he was clutching on her shirt, pulling her close to him. "Someone help! Please!" Penny called out. Why did her battery have to die today?

She placed her hands on the wound and pressed down to try to stop the bleeding. He groaned in pained as she pressed down and she told him to calm down. "Mister, it's going to be okay. Stay with me here. My name's Penny. Shh... Calm down. What's your name?"

The blood was getting everywhere but she couldn't care. He was in so much pain that she started to cry. "Sh-sh."

He wasn't able to say his name. Penny's head turned to the right immediately after hearing someone run to their direction. A man was holding a phone next to his ear as he told the other line about how there's a man who was hurt, and she could tell he had called 911.

"Help is on the way. You're going to be okay." Penny reassured him as she tried to stifle her sobs.

"Sheldon." The man said as his breathing became erratic and he started to wheeze. "My.. Name... Is... Sheldon." He was going into convulsions and Penny had no idea what to do now.

"Sheldon. Stay with me. Don't close your eyes. They're coming, the ambulance. Hold on a little longer. Don't close your eyes! You're going to make it through. Hang on." Penny applied more pressure as the other man who called 911 sat next to her and put his hands on top of hers to help stabilize the wound. She prayed that the ambulance would come faster as she could feel his life slipping away right before her eyes.

As much as she asked him not to, Sheldon closed his eyes and stilled under their touch and efforts to help him.


	2. Healing

_"You cannot easily drop a person out of your mind. Especially when that person has left a special mark on your heart." _

_ -Anonymous_

When Penny was sixteen, she would regularly sneak out if her house once her parents were finally asleep. In high school, she got mixed with wrong crowd, the one that included the jocks, drinkers, and the experimentalists. Because of her enchanting looks, boys were all over her, and it wasn't unusual for her to get invite to house parties the senior class would throw every now and then.

She usually went with a friend, and enjoyed herself with a glass full of vodka or some kind of drink. That's how Penny was introduced to alcohol. The upperclassmen were doing it, and she felt obligated to as well. After all, she was a sophomore invite to an all senior party, and she was fortunate enough that it wasn't a rouse or a prank. Penny thought of that because a year ago, her friend Mike came to one and ended up getting stripped down to his underwear and tied around the lamp-post in front of the school.

There was one particular party that was embedded in her mind for maybe as long as she lived. She remembered dancing with another guy friend named John, when someone slipped a little too much alcohol in her red solo cup. Penny wasn't thinking straight and was very drunk. She slurred her words and her inhibitions lessened gradually throughout the night. One of the seniors thought it would be funny to mess with her friend and so he dragged John, who was smart enough to not consume alcohol, away from the intoxicated blonde.

Penny saw them circling the defenseless boy as they began insulting and throwing garbage at him. She was too drunk to stop them before it was too late. John had called them out and one thing led to another. What she remembered that morning was her parents picking her up from the police station and informing her that John was almost beaten to death and currently in a coma.

A part of her felt like it was her fault for inviting him to tag along. She should have been responsible for her actions, and now one of her dearest friends would probably never wake up again. Penny would visit him in the hospital as often as she could, and cried her eyes out beside his unconscious body. She had no idea how he felt as he was being kicked and punched. She didn't do anything, and he probably felt betrayed and alone.

If she could go back and change things, the first thing was to never take that first sip of alcohol. Penny would often hide a bottle of liquor from her parents and indulge in it while they were away. If she hadn't been drinking that night, John would still be living and breathing at this second. She was lucky that his parents didn't blame her for his death but how she consumed alcohol. They were lying, she felt. It was her fault and they knew it.

The rest of high school flew fast and next thing you know, here she was holding a man who was in the same state as John was before he passed away, and she wanted him to live.

* * *

"Keep pressure on the wound, he's still bleeding a lot." Penny instructed the man, who she now knew as Mark, as she moved up to place her head on her chest. She couldn't hear a heartbeat and clock was ticking.

_CPR_. Penny could do that. She distinctively remembered health class one day, and how she was taught how to kneeling down next to Sheldon's body, she pressed her hands down on the area where his heart was and push up and down as hard as she can. She leaned into his face and blew air into his opened mouth, before attempting to restart his heart again.

With the pressure she was applying on his chest, Sheldon would have woken up with more bruises. Penny was not about to let him die in the cold streets, mentally cursing the ambulance that was still on its way. She was doing her best, alternating pumping and blowing.

By the fourth try, she felt his mouth twitch when she placed hers over it. Penny shook him gently. "Sheldon?" In the corner of her eye, she saw his arm jerk, so she shook his body again. That's when his eyes suddenly opened as he inhaled sharply through his mouth, causing Penny to smile. He was groaning and moaning in pain and that's when the EMTs finally arrived. She cradled his body in her arms. "You're going to be okay." She whispered to him.

Her eyes were locked into Sheldon's face, as he tried to sit up from the concrete. An emergency responder pulled her away as another one pulled a gurney out of the ambulance. "Ma'am, we'll take it from here." The responder tugged on her arm gently, wanting her to leave him in better hands. As she was being pulled away, Penny watched as Sheldon was strapped on the gurney before they wheeled him into the vehicle and the sirens blared as it drove off.

A few minutes later, a police car pulled in front of Penny before a large built man came out of the driver's side with a notepad. "Good evening, miss. My name is Officer Garson and I would like to ask a couple of questions about this incident if that is fine with you." Penny nodded, not making eye contact with the police officer. "Alright. For starters, what is your name?"

"Penny. Penny Queen." Garson wrote her name down on his notepad as Penny crossed her arms, still covered in Sheldon's blood. She was glad that he seemed fine and on his way for professional help, but she didn't enjoy being pulled away without checking if he was really okay.

"Do you know the victim's name?" He asked, tilting his head to meet Penny's stare.

"Sheldon, but that's all I know. I just saw him laying on the streets half-dead. Never met or seen him before."

He wrote her words down. "Alright. Did you see how this began?" Penny shook her head and sighed. She really needed to shower, change, and sleep. It was one hell of a day. Her first official day in Pasadena ended in her being covered in blood, and luckily, it wasn't hers. "You want to me to call someone for you?"

"Can you take me to go see him?" She said without hesitation in her voice.

Garson checked his watch. "My shift ends in a half an hour. I suppose I could take you where he's being kept. Hop in, but do you need me to call someone? Friend? Family? Let them know you're alright before they think you're missing?"

"I suppose." Garson smiled and handed Penny his phone before starting the car and pull out into the streets.

The phone ringed about twice before it was finally picked up. "Hello?"

"Tyler, it's Pen." She said.

"Penny? Where are you? I was getting worried! You weren't answering your phone. You were supposed to come home hours ago and I thought you just got lost. What happened?" Tyler sounded very concerned, and she loved that about him. The guys she usually dated would care a bit if she was late by an hour or so.

"Listen, I'm fine. My phone died. I missed the bus and I was walking home when I heard this guy calling for help. He was badly beaten and I tried to stabilize him. He was knocked out before the ambulance came so I had to give him CPR and I'm on my way to see him now, make sure he's okay and well." Penny closed her eyes when she began remembering how traumatized and hurt he looked. She could still hear him gasping for the air that came easily to her.

"Wow. Pen, that's a heroic thing you did there. But just come home. He's with the people who can help him and I just want you beside me." Tyler said, and Penny sighed.

"Thanks, but I really want to make sure." Garson whispered to Penny telling her to put it on speaker phone.

"Sir, we are a couple blocks away. I'll be happy to drive Penny home after she sees the man."

She smiled for the first time after the whole situation and mouthed a thank you to the officer. "I'll see you later."

"Be safe. I'll wait all night for you." Tyler then hung up the phone.

* * *

Garson parked the car in the lot and the two made their way inside the hospital. Before exiting the car, he let Penny borrow his sweater to cover up her blood stained uniform, which she gladly accepted.

He approached the front desk where a nurse was typing on the computer. "Hi, my name is Officer Garson, and I'm looking for a patient who was recently checked in. Guy's name is Sheldon."

"What's his last name?" The nurse asked.

The cop glanced behind Penny, who shrugged her shoulders. "We have no clue, but he was probably wheeled in a half an hour ago. Looked like he was mugged or something." The nurse nodded and told him to give her a second as she pulled up the patient they were describing.

"We have a Sheldon Cooper in surgery right now. Lacerations along his torso and a swollen eye apparently. Few broken bones and lots of cuts. Yikes, I can only imagine what this guy has been through." She said, reading it from the computer screen. "Are you related to him?"

They shook their heads before Penny stepped forward. "I kind of brought him back to life when he passed out."

"That's incredible, because I overheard if he wasn't resuscitated back there he wouldn't have made it. The poor guy suffered a blow to the head and they're afraid part of his skull is fractured."

"Is he going to be okay?" Penny asked.

"You saved him just in time, hon. But I can't say. Doctors are still with him back there. If you would like to, you can sit over there and wait until they come out with updates." The nurse pointed towards the waiting room where a two bespectacled people sat impatiently. Penny nodded. "Alright. Well I hope he's fine."

Penny and Garson approached the waiting area and took a seat next to the big door which had all the hospital rooms on the other side. It was only the two of them, plus the other two who looked just as worried. The short guy was standing up and tapping his foot on the floor with his arms crossed, while the frumpy looking lady seemed like she had been crying as she sat on the chairs.

They were a few feet away from them, and Penny could overhear their conversation. She pretended that she wasn't paying any attention, but she had to listen when they said the name Sheldon.

"I can't believe this is happening. It's my fault. He walked me to my car that was parked a few blocks down the street and he could have been followed from there." The woman started to sob, and the man sat beside her, wrapping his arms around her body.

"It's not your fault Amy. The only one who is responsible for this is the man who did this for him. If only I wasn't gone for a few hours, if only I had stayed home with him, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Amy patted the shorter man's knee. "The only thing we can do is wait until the doctor has something for us. Where are Howard and Bernadette?"

"On their way. He's in so much pain and if he wasn't asleep, he'll probably complain about being in the hospital." He tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but failed.

Penny watched them two talking and guessed that the woman, Amy, was probably either his girlfriend or sister, and the short dude sounded like his roommate.

"How'd they find him?" Amy asked, as she sat up straighter, clutching tissues in her hand.

"Cops said a woman and a man dialed 911 before she resuscitated him when he blacked out." The short guy answered. "That woman, she saved Sheldon's life. I should have told the cops that I wanted to thank her personally."

Penny smiled, but didn't say a word.

"Yes, Leonard. Without her, he would be gone and I would be all alone again." Amy cried again, and Leonard tried to comfort her.

Garson leaned into Penny's ear. "Want me to tell them or you?" He whispered.

"Not yet." She simply said.

* * *

It wasn't about two hours later when the doctor entered the waiting area with, looking at a clipboard with notes and charts attached to it. "My name is Dr. Barnett... Leonard?" She said after she looked up and realized who was in front of her. "Wow, I haven't seen you in a while."

"Hello." Leonard said shyly and quietly.

"Are you here for a Sheldon Cooper?" Penny's head jolted up and listened to what she was saying. She saw Leonard nod as the doctor began flipping through the pages of her clipboard. "Good news is he's alive and breathing properly, and we think he'll wake up soon. No brain damage whatsoever, although he did suffer a terrible concussion and when he wakes up, he'll probably have short-term amnesia. His heart stopped beating because of all the stress that was in him. What else, oh! Bad news is he has to wear a cast on his left hand. He lost a lot of blood from the gash along his stomach, but not enough that he can't survive. We managed to fix that part of him. Swollen right eye, and minor cuts and bruises along his body. He suffered hell through this beating."

They soaked up the information given before Amy spoke. "When can we see him?"

"He's asleep right now; we had to anesthetized him when they wheeled him in for us to work on that laceration. I'll say that in maybe an hour, it'll wear off. We didn't give him that much." Dr. Barnett glanced over to Leonard. "And how do you know the patient, Leonard?"

"He's the crazy guy that I'm living with. The one I talked to you about when we were... You know... Together." He avoided eye contact with her. "Can we see him now?"

"Sure. Sure. Follow me." She led the two down the hallway where they disappeared.

Penny was still sitting on the chair. Garson tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Didn't you want to check up on him, too?" She nodded. "Then, why are you still here and why didn't you tell them you were the woman that saved their friend's life."

"I thought I would be barging into their lives. I don't even know the guy and now I'm here wanting to see him. It feels wrong. I did my job and I should go home now. None of my business to follow-up." Penny, exhausted and worn out, didn't know what she was talking about.

Garson sighed. "He owes his life to you for saving him. At least introduce yourself to him. If I was him, I would want to know who gave me CPR after collapsing. Come on." He stood up and held his hand out. Penny looked up and graciously accepted it, and pulled herself off the seat.

Dr. Barnett approached the front desk and the two walked towards her. "Excuse me, what room is Sheldon Cooper being held at?" Penny asked.

"Are you related to or know him? We can't just let anyone enter inside their hospital room-"

"She's the woman who saved your patient's life back in the alley." The nurse interrupted her and gave Penny a smile. "She wants to make sure he's alright."

"Um, okay. But you have to get past the other two that came in already. If they let you in, great. They don't then it's okay. We'll email you an update or something. By the looks of it, you'll probably see him."

"Thank you." They began to make their way down the hallway when Dr. Barnett stopped them.

"You did a great job at resuscitating him. If it weren't for you, he would have been dead. So, thank you."

Garson turned to Penny who waved goodbye to the doctor. They reached Sheldon's room, which had a small window on the door. Penny peeked her head in and saw Amy holding Sheldon's hand while Leonard talked on the phone. She overheard him say that he'll leave in a few minutes before hanging up.

Penny pressed her ear close to the door. "Howard and Bernadette's tire blew out on their way here. I'm going to pick them up. You sure you don't want to come along? He'll probably won't wake up while we're gone. You know how stubborn he is. If he wanted to, he'll wake up next month." She heard Leonard say, and Amy mumbled something that she couldn't make out. "Your choice. I'll be back. Text me if anything happens."

She stood up and pretended she wasn't eavesdropping when Leonard exited out of the room. He gave her a slight nod before moving on. Penny peeked her head in again, only to retract when Amy opened the door. "Excuse me, miss." She said, then Amy followed Leonard's path.

"You should go in." Garson suggested. Penny bit the inside of her cheek as she reached the door handle and opened it.

Her foot stepped inside, as she examined the room. His heart rate monitor was the only machine present, and he had an IV needle on his arm. Sheldon's eye was still swollen and his cuts were still there. Penny glanced down to his hand where he now had a cast in it. Instead of his torn up clothes, he was now wearing a hospital gown, and looked peaceful as he slept.

Penny sat down next to the bed, and stared at his non-moving body. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he brought his hand up to his chest as he stirred on the bed. "Sheldon?"

With the sound of his name, Sheldon cautiously opened his eyes, inspecting the room he was in. He stopped when his eyes met Penny as she gave him a small wave with her hand. "Do you need anything?"

He licked his lips. "Water." Sheldon, with a voice raspy and low, requested.

Penny got out of her chair and walked to the water cooler, getting a cup for Sheldon. She then made her way back and helped him sit up more to take a sip. Once Sheldon laid down on his bed again, he tried to move his hands, which seemed painful to watch as he groaned with every movement. He turned to her again. "Who are you?"

"My name's Penny."

Sheldon coughed. "Do I know you?"

She paused for a second, wanting to come up with an easy explanation of what happened. Penny did overhear Dr. Barnett informing them of temporary memory loss. "Umm, I was walking home from work a few hours ago when you called out for help. I followed the sound of your pleas and that's when I found you laying down on the ground so helplessly. You were most likely mugged out there. Do you remember any of this?" Sheldon shook his head. "Okay. Well, I-um we, there was another guy who came to us, tried to help you. Then your heart stopped beating and I was afraid that it would have been too late. I administered CPR on you, and now you're here."

Penny, who was still standing beside his bed, took a seat next to him. Sheldon followed her movements with weary eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, only having his head face the door as Leonard and Amy entered the hospital room. Penny turned around and gave a soft smile. "Hi, um, who are you?" Amy asked, approaching the mysterious woman sitting next to her boyfriend.

"I'm Penny. I see Sheldon has more company, so I better head out." When she started to stand up, Sheldon softly gripped her wrist and gazed at her face.

He slowly pulled her down back to her seat. "Please, stay." He then turned his head forward to look at the group in front of him. "Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me?" Leonard inched closer to Sheldon's bed. "It's me, Leonard. I'm your roommate. That's Amy, your girlfriend. Howard and Bernadette are over there. Raj is currently in San Francisco attending a symposium." He pointed to each and every one of their friends.

Sheldon looked at them with a blank expression, trying to remember any of his so-called friends. Nothing was coming up. "I apologize. I seem to have no recollection of any of you whatsoever."

"So, Penny? Um, how do you know Sheldon?" Leonard asked, not noticing that she was the woman behind him and Amy earlier in the waiting room.

"Are you the one who brought Sheldon back to life?" Amy walked forward, standing next to Penny. She nodded, and Amy smiled, brought her arms around the blonde's body, hugging her for all she's worth. "Thank you so much! Without you, Sheldon wouldn't be here in front of us at this second. Even though his memory's impaired, at least we still have him."

Penny returned Amy's tight hug and chuckled. "You're welcome." She yawned, looking down to Sheldon, who was glancing at her. "Listen, I know you guys want to help Sheldon. I have to leave now since it's getting late and my boyfriend is waiting for me back at our apartment." She made her way to the exit, not before receiving hugs from his friends and a bunch of 'thank you's.

"Thank you again, Penny." Sheldon called out for her as she left the room.

* * *

Garson took her home past midnight.

As soon as she entered the apartment, she dashed into the shower and scrubbed herself clean. Penny threw away her Cheesecake Factory uniform, seeing that it was stained with blood and unable to clean it off. Afterwards, she ate a late dinner with Tyler, but stayed quiet throughout the meal. Once she brushed her teeth, climbed into bed, and kissed Tyler goodnight, she closed her eyes. That night, she dreamed of herself saving Sheldon's life. The difference was that he did not make it and blamed herself for not trying hard enough.

Penny didn't know this, but seeing him in the hospital would not be the last time they have an encounter.

**A/N:**

**I'm not 100% happy with how this came out, but I tried my best to explain things. I'm no medical professional, so I apologize if I made any mistakes during the CPR and hospital scene. I also apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes. Thank you all for who read and reviewed. I'll update soon after I proofread the next chapter thoroughly. **

**And just to clarify to some people who are confused, the group has never met Penny before until this chapter. The characters will also do things that are OOC for them, just giving you a heads up.**

** It's not the end for our story yet so stick around.**


	3. Hello, again

_"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."_

_ -Helen Keller_

The alarm clock resting on top of the nightstand beside their bed began to make that irksome noise, causing Penny to wake up from her deep sleep. She grunted, and then reached over to the nightstand to shut the clock off before lying back down on the mattress. Pulling the covers up her body, she heard the bedroom door open and the creaking of the floorboards. The steps grew louder and louder, and it was making it harder for her to go back to sleep.

Suddenly, Penny felt someone jump on top of her and attack her face with kisses. Tyler was wrestling her on the bed, laughing as he watched her trying to escape from his strong hold. Unfortunately for him, Penny was the master of junior rodeo, winning competitions starting when she was in fifth grade. Though Tyler was larger, Penny was able to flip him over on his back as she quickly straddled his legs together in mere seconds with ease.

She held his wrists above his head and smirked. "Now why would you wake me up this early in the morning?"

Tyler smiled. "I just wanted to hear your laugh again. You had one hell of a night, and I was trying to lighten your mood."

Penny kissed his forehead and then his nose. "Why would I laugh when I only got six hours of sleep?" She released her boyfriend, who helped her out of the bed. "I forgot, I have to work the lunch shift today. Can you drop me off at Enterprise so I can get a car for myself? I'm not going to be happy if I have to walk home again."

"There is another reason for why I wanted to wake you up." Tyler said, and Penny was confused. He dug something out of his pockets, and once he got a hold of it, he presented it to the blonde. "It's all yours."

In his hands were what Penny presumed to be car keys. "Are you serious?" She stared at him, open-mouthed. "Please do not tell me you bought me a car."

"Guess I can't say anything now because of that." Penny inched closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, then pulled herself closer to him.

"Thank you. What car did you get me?" Tyler reached down to hold her hand as he led her to the living room which had a window overlooking the parking lot of their apartment complex. He pointed to a spotless silver Honda accord. It was better than her last vehicle that she used back in Omaha. She was speechless. Penny wanted to work for her things, but having Tyler buy a car for her caused her having an overwhelming feeling of happiness.

"It's also an apology gift for making fun of your acting career. Now you can get to auditions and to work safely and faster." Penny turned around to face him. She held the side of his face with her small tender hands and pulled him down for another kiss. "As much as I want to stay with you, I have to go. That car took a bite out of my paycheck and I need to work longer hours now."

"Okay, but we're not done yet." With one last kiss, Tyler went ahead and showered as Penny admired her brand new car from above.

* * *

Cruising down the streets of Pasadena with her windows down, Penny sang along to the current song playing on the radio. Even though she did not get as much sleep as she wished, Penny was in high spirits. She adored Tyler more now that he had bought her a car despite wanting to rent one herself until she could afford one. Before she left for work, she phoned her manager at the restaurant. She told him about what happened last night and that she ruined her uniform. The manager was very understanding, and praised Penny for her actions. He was to give her a brand new uniform that was smaller than her old one and fitted her body properly for free. She made sure she sounded happy over the phone, not really wanting to wear that dreaded clothing anymore.

Her next step in California was to hire an agent to organize auditions. A friend of Penny recommended one specific agent that she was sure would get the job done. Penny was meeting her over coffee next week, and discuss about her blossoming career. She spent most of her time growing up dreaming of a well-known celebrity, the ones that get stopped in the middle of the streets to ask for an autograph. She even had a speech ready for when she won a prominent award like an Emmy. Penny also dreamed about having her name present on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and being interviewed on late night shows. She dreamed that one day she will prove everyone who thought her acting career was a joke and she'll never be famous wrong.

Penny didn't want to grow up and just be like the everyday women. She wanted a life full of adventures and loved taking risks. Moving down to California was one of the biggest risks she had made, and so far, it's not so bad. She was never going to miss the cold winters and never ending snowfall. Before she left Omaha, they were expecting seven inches of snow, and though she did not mind getting her hands dirty, shoveling in the freezing air was not for her. One winter from many years ago, Penny's family lost power and heat for almost a week after a huge snow storm happened in their city. She remembered her mother making hot chocolate for her and her siblings, then gathered in the living room sitting down in front of their working gas fireplace. Her father would take Penny and her brother along with him to cut down lumber from the trees that grew in their property. The family bonded and became closer during the week without power. Penny learned more about her sister, like how she loved horror movies and enjoyed catching fireflies during the summer, and her brother, who wanted to become a police officer.

It's not that Penny wasn't interested in her siblings' likes and dislikes. It was because growing up, they regularly fought about anything and would spend most of their free time away from each other. Now older, Penny's sister was a kindergarten teacher and now married to her high school sweetheart. A couple of years later, Penny became an aunt to her sister's son. Though her brother had high prospects in life, he was not as fortunate as his sisters. His life spiraled downwards after cooking and selling meth, and suffering alcoholism, something that Penny was almost at the verge of before stopping herself awhile back. He was still living with their parents before entering rehab and has been there ever since.

Through their ups and downs, Penny loves her family. They promised to protect her and always had her back. It was a challenge and knew it was a huge risk, but her family supported the decisions she made to pursue her acting career. They always knew their little Penny was a dreamer from the start.

* * *

Penny parked her car as close as she can from the Cheesecake Factory. She silently wished that today at work would be better than yesterday, not wanting to endure After turning off the engine and exiting the vehicle, she walked to the restaurant and entered through the side door. Her manager Will greeted her with a huge grin across his face and Penny giggled before coming closer to him.

"There's the heroine who saved a young man's life!" Will exclaimed as he applauded her, causing the nearby staff to turn their heads and listen to their conversation. He faced everyone and pointed at the blonde standing next to him. "Everyone, Penny here last night has done something last night that we should admire her for."

Penny blushed. "No need to say it out loud Will. I'd like my uniform please."

"Oh, I totally forgot about that. Give me a second." He walked into his office and Penny picked up her card from the wall to scanned herself in. Will came back with a neatly folded uniform in his hands and gave them to Penny. "Go change and have a great shift today, Penny."

* * *

"Here is your southwest chicken sandwich with extra mayo and your tropical smoothie, miss." Penny said, placing the woman's food and drink in front of her on the table. "And for the little one, macaroni and cheese with extra cheese along with your chocolate milk." She handed the child his plate, only having him grab a handful of the macaroni to throw on the floor making a mess.

"I'm so sorry. Here let me." The woman stood up and took some of the napkins out of the dispenser.

"No, it's alright. I'll do it." Penny smiled and left the table momentarily, returning with supplies to clean up the food. "How old is he?" She asked as she wiped down the floor, looking up to the customer who was still standing.

"He's turning two in a month." The woman turned when the little boy started to call for her. Penny watched as she picked up her son to clean off the cheese in his hands. "His name is Damien, like his father."

Penny noticed he was not around and did not want to ask. The woman knew she was curious, so she settled Damien back down on his high chair. "His father passed away before he was born. Car accident, died at the scene." She struggled to hold back tears. "I'm Emily, by the way. Thank you again for the food and sorry for the mess. You're a waitress, not a janitor."Damien waved at Penny with his small fingers and she waved back before leaving to the computer.

Another waitress was there talking on the phone, and when she hung up the phone, she turned to Penny. "Excuse me, Penny, is it?"

She nodded. "Listen, I have to go home now and I only have one table left to serve. Can you please take over for me? I'll pay you for it."

"Sure. No problem." Penny said, and the waitress led her to the table.

Her eyes grew wide when she noticed the two sitting down across from each other, listening to them argue about Star Wars. The other waitress told them that Penny would be taking over before leaving. She knew them back at the hospital and was surprised to see them again. "Hello, I'm Penny. What would you like to order?" She introduced herself like always.

"I'm Leonard, that's Howard." Leonard pointed to the guy with the bowl cut. "We met last night."

"Oh, that's where I know you from!" She knew it even before they told her. "How's your friend, Sheldon?"

"He's still at the hospital with little memory of who he is." Howard responded. "But between you and me, that's a good thing." They both slightly chuckled.

"I don't understand." Penny said, confused.

Leonard sighed. "Our Sheldon is a bit..."

"Neurotic." Howard interrupted and Leonard nodded.

"Wow." That was all Penny could say. "Well, I hope he gets better soon." She took Leonard and Howard's orders before walking back to the kitchen to place them. She came back to Emily and Damien with their bill, surprised to see that the kind generous woman left a $50 tip for her. Penny collected the boy's food and returned to their table a couple of minutes later.

For some reason, Penny wanted to see Sheldon again. She thought back to the incident with John, and felt sorry for both. Even though Sheldon survived his ordeal, he lost his memory temporarily. That was a good thing since it was not permanently, but what if it never comes back. His two friends sounded like they were making fun of him and how he is. She has never met the man and know how he was like, but she wasn't comfortable with them joking around while their friend is in pain.

A half an hour later, Leonard and Howard finished their meals and called Penny over for their check. She caught Leonard sneaking glances of her, and gave him a smile when they made eye contact. Thankfully, she received a good tip from the two. They were both pushing their chairs in when Leonard stepped forward. "Do you want to see him? It's seems like you want to catch up and see how he's doing."

Penny was about to say yes. "No, it's fine. Just send him my best wishes for a fast recovery." _Dammit_, she thought to herself. "Do they have a clue about who did this to him?"

Howard shook his head. "Not yet, but he did manage to steal Sheldon's wallet and the police are monitoring his credit card activity for when that bastard decides to use it. They'll catch him soon enough."

"Okay. Well, thank you for coming and have a nice evening." Penny said before walking away.

* * *

"Captain's log, stardate 41153.7. Our destination is planet Deneb Four, beyond which lies the great unexplored mass of the galaxy. My orders are to examine Farpoint, a starbase built there by the inhabitants of that world. Meanwhile, I am becoming better acquainted with my new command, this Galaxy Class USS Enterprise. I am still somewhat in awe of its size and complexity. As for my crew, we are short in several key positions, most notably a first officer, but I am informed that a highly experienced man, one Commander William Riker, will be waiting to join our ship at our Deneb Four destination." Sheldon watched the small television screen from the corner of the room as he ate his sandwich that Amy had brought him.

He was still in pain, and rather not talk to anyone but watch reruns of The Next Generations. The doctors have checked up on him several times throughout the day, and concluded that he'll recover quickly. Sheldon was relieved because he was getting tired of laying down on the bed and the food served at the hospital was bland and tasteless. A part of him was saying to get out now when he saw the syringes and IV needles, as well as when he heard coughing or sneezing from outside.

Doctors think that he will probably get his memory back gradually in the upcoming days, but said it could take weeks or maybe over a month. He told his friends that he remembers his family members and where he was born and raised in. Sheldon could not remember his profession, his likes and dislikes, and his routine and schedule. He put on Star Trek because it felt right, and was hooked on the first episode he watched. He doesn't recall any of his friends, but by the looks of it, he didn't have many.

Amy introduced herself as his girlfriend and talked about how they met and who each one of his friends are. She seemed to take advantage of his memory loss to hold his hand and kiss him on his cheek, saying it's for comfort, without having to flinch or move. Only as the day progressed, he was getting the sense of who he is. When Amy tried to kiss him again, Sheldon reminded her of how he doesn't appreciate public displays of affection. An hour after that, he began complaining about how he was missing his work and that his equations written on his whiteboards were not going to solve themselves.

"You will agree, Data, that Starfleet's orders are difficult?... Difficult? Simply solve the mystery of Farpoint Station... As simple as that... Farpoint Station. Even the name sounds mysterious..." Sheldon's attention drifted to the sound of the door opening, with Leonard and Howard entering inside.

"Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?" Leonard asked, making his way to the chair beside him.

Sheldon placed his food on the table next to the bed. "I am a bit uncomfortable eating with this cast on. My head hurts and every time I move, it is quite painful. Other than that, I seem to be regaining some of my memories back. Look, I'm watching Next Generation and I remember the time we headed up to Vasquez Rocks, dressed up as Starfleet officers, and Leonard's vehicle getting stolen. We walked under the scorching heat of the sun, and having garbage thrown at us."

"Oh, yeah. I remember that, too." Howard said, reminiscing the time when it happened and wishing his mother was there with them so they could hide under her shadow. "Anyways, do you remember anything specifically about us?"

"Clarify your statement, please."

"Um, like do you remember any events that happened between you and me only?"

Sheldon thought for a moment. "I do recall us having an argument that led to a nude revenge wiggle due to a parking spot."

"Good, now you're getting some of them back."

"I still do not appreciate having your bare buttocks on my spot. It cost me a lot to have it washed and decontaminated." Sheldon was surprised that he suddenly remembered about his spot on the couch. _If my life were expressed as a function on a four-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, that spot, at the moment I first sat on it, would be (0,0,0,0)_, he said years ago.

Howard made his way around Sheldon's bed. "Guess who we saw back at the Cheesecake Factory this afternoon?"

Sheldon paused, but when he opened his mouth to answer, Howard spoke. "Penny was there."

"That is not fair. You propose a guessing game, yet you don't give me enough time to guess." Sheldon pouted.

"Yup, he's back." Howard mumbled to himself.

"I may be the one with the temporary memory loss, but you are forgetting about my Vulcan hearing, Howard." Sheldon said, catching up on what he mumbled. "But anyways, how is she?"

"Well, she says that she wished you get better soon, and that's about it." Leonard answered.

Sheldon frowned. "Did she ask to see me?"

"I asked her, but she wanted me to give you that message instead."

For some reason, Sheldon was upset. He wanted to speak with her ever since he woke up with Penny right beside him. She seems to be a caring and kind person, and he owes so much to her after she saved him. He wondered if after being discharged from the hospital, Sheldon could see Penny at the Cheesecake Factory. He didn't have her number, and barely knows anything about her, so meeting her at work was the only way to talk to her again.

"Leonard?" Sheldon asked, turning his head right to look at him.

"Yes?"

"How soon can I leave this place? I do not want to spend time here any longer with all the possible deadly pathogens being housed in this building."

**A/N:**

**Thank you to you guys reading this. Each review inspires me to write more and I'm grateful for that.**


	4. Dreams do come true

_"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world"_

_-Harriet Tubman_

Penny practically skipped out of the building with a wide grin on her face. Her first audition in California went perfectly and without any problems. She had run over her lines all week, and was able to deliver them with ease in front of the casting agents. They loved her and told her to expect a call from them soon, which made Penny even more excited and hopeful.

When she first arrived, Penny was a bit intimidated by the other women in the room, who were also auditioning for the same part. They were all taller, prettier, and some had more experiences in acting than she has. The role was for the television series Criminal Minds. Hopefully, she would be playing the young wealthy woman whose mother gets kidnapped, and the FBI has to extract deep family secrets from her in order to save her. The character only had a few lines and scenes, but she would be appearing on TV and that was enough for her.

Reminding herself to thank her new agent Laura for hooking her up with the audition, Penny drove back home. The drive to the audition took her almost two hours, but it was worth it.

The last time she had to drive to a city hours away for what she thought was an audition for a commercial, turned out to be for porn.

Penny repeated their words over and over, which boosted her confidence in herself.

_"You were amazing Ms. Queen. Absolutely breath-taking. It's very unusual that no one has casted you before, and to those who rejected you, they lost a gem in the entertainment business. You're a natural at this, and we urge you to pursue your dreams. Take the big leap, no matter what the cost. You won't regret it." _

_She tried her hardest not to jump up and down with joy as she listened to their kind and uplifting words. It was one of the best things that anyone could say to her, and she would never forget them. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much that means to me. I promise I will not let you down." _

_The woman, Barbara, gave her a heartwarming smile. "You are so welcome, dear. You deserved it. Although we are not casting you on the spot because there are other girls waiting out there who also deserve a turn, I can assure you that you will probably be the best out of all the performances. In other words, you can guarantee receiving a phone call from us soon."_

She entered the city of Pasadena just as the radio started to play "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves, which she happily sung along with. She then passed by the shoe store she visited that caused her to miss the bus, and Penny had made a lot on tips in the past week. Wanting to give herself a little treat, she circled back around to browse for some shoes.

Before she could make a u-turn, Penny's phone began to ring. It was a little too early, but in the back of her mind, she hoped that the call was good news. She yearned for the four little words on the other side of the line. _You've got the part_. Immediately, she pulled over to the side of the street and took her phone out of her purse. She was smiling uncontrollably, but sighed when it was just Tyler.

_Don't lose hope yet girl_, Penny thought to herself. _Just be patient. It'll come soon._

Answering the call, she put her phone on her ear. "Hey, babe. How's it going?"

She heard nothing for five seconds before Tyler spoke. "It's my father. He's in the hospital at this very second back in Nebraska. His cancer has metastasized and things are looking bad for him. Oh god, Penny. Please just come home fast. I need someone with me."

He choked back his tears. "Penny?"

"I'll be home right away. Just hang on, I'm on my way." Penny said, slowly pulling into traffic.

"Hurry back."

With that, he hung up, and many thoughts flew in and out of Penny's head. As much as she disliked it, she didn't really know much about Tyler's father. What she did know was how close he was to him. She would listen to his stories about how when his mother died, his father raised him and his four siblings by himself. His aunt would stop by their home to help out, but other than that, he spent the rest of his life as a single dad.

She couldn't bear the thought of losing her father. Yes, they had their ups and downs, as well as how her father treated her more like a son than a daughter, but she relied on and trusted him. It would kill her if he becomes diagnosed with cancer and watch his health deteriorate. Penny's heart broke, not knowing how Tyler was actually feeling.

Penny slammed on her brakes when she noticed that the traffic light had turned red. She got lost in her own thoughts that it was as if she was on auto pilot. She took a deep breath, and sighed. It was supposed to be a good day for her, but now she was surrounded by the feeling of sorrow and it bothered her. The light turned green, and Penny gripped on the steering wheel tightly. Her mind wandered once more before she parked in front of her apartment.

Tyler needed her now more than ever.

* * *

"Good news, Dr. Cooper-" Dr. Barnett entered the hospital room in good spirits. Certainly Sheldon would appreciate the next few words exiting her mouth.

He reached over to the table beside him for the remote of the television, which was playing episode 178 of Star Trek: Next Generation. It was the series finale for the show, and Sheldon paused during the scene when Picard finds himself facing Q in the courtroom. "Who is this Doctor Cooper?" Sheldon asked.

Amy, who sitting next to his bed, leaned over to his ear. "That's you, remember?" She reminded him.

Sheldon nodded. He has some of his memories back, most that weren't as helpful in knowing who he was. Amy had helped him over the past week with regaining the memories, using the tricks up her sleeve that she had learned from when she was in college learning neurobiology. "Yes, Amy has informed me that I do hold... two doctorates?" He spoke the last part as a question, to which Amy gave him a two thumbs up and a smile. "Good, I was not a hundred percent sure."

"Well, Sheldon, you have asked the staff _countless_ times about when you can leave the hospital. I've come to tell you that you may sign your discharge papers as early as this afternoon if you wished." Dr. Barnett informed him, and Sheldon's face lit up.

"Thank you. I don't know if I can stand being her longer than I should be. I ask for the papers to be brought to me at your earliest convenience. If there's one thing I look forward to, it would be taking a shower in my bathroom at home." Sheldon laid back down on the bed and pressed play, resuming the episode from where it left off.

Dr. Barnett tapped Amy on the shoulder and gestured her to come outside. Once Amy had excused herself and closed the door leading to his room, the other woman began to speak. "I'm getting straight to the point here." The doctor placed the clipboard on the chairs against the wall. "I'm not so sure that your boyfriend Sheldon over there will regain _all_ of his memory."

"It's been only a week. It may take up to several weeks as I have learned from studies." Amy responded, still hopeful that Sheldon would make a full recovery, physically and mentally.

"I understand. It may come to him gradually, but like I said, there is also the chance they he may not. Sheldon doesn't even know what he does for a living." Amy listened, taking a seat with Dr. Barnett following.

"Yes he does." She protested.

The doctor shook her head. "Because you told him. Does he remember how he met you or the other guys? You didn't tell him, did you?"

"I don't have to. I'm sure he knows."

Dr. Barnett sighed. "See if he does. I have to get back to another patient. Tell me if anything comes up."

"I can assure you that he does recall, but he has not yet said anything about it because no one has asked." Without another word, Amy stood up from the chair and walked into the room.

Sheldon glanced at the woman coming in, and then refocused his attention back to the television. He chewed on the red vines that he was given the understanding that it is his favorite candy.

Amy sat beside him quietly. She didn't want to ask him, because if he did say what she was hoping not to hear, her hope in Sheldon recovering completely will lessen. She gulped. Amy needed to know. One way or another, he will get though this no matter what. "Sheldon?"

He turned, placing another piece of red vine in his mouth. "Amy?"

"Do you..." She paused. Here it goes. "Do you remember how you met Leonard? It did happen years ago. Ten to be exact. You also met Howard and Raj back then as well." Amy rambled.

Sheldon thought for a moment. She watched him stare into space, like he was digging inside his brain for the lost memories that she was talking about. "No."

"Oh." Amy said. Maybe because it was too far back. He did remember what had happened last year because it's still fresh in his memory. She decided to see the earliest memory he could think of. "Do you recall anything from two years ago?"

"Hmm... Howard and Bernadette's wedding on top of the roof?" He answered, though rather unsure of it.

"Okay. What about anything before that?"

His mind was combing through all the existing memories he had, searching real hard for one that happened before. "I vaguely remember about a fight I had with Leonard that resulted in me pulling the main breaker switch which caused power failure in the building."

"Earlier than that?" Amy scooted closer to him.

"Joining Leonard, Howard, and Rajesh to face Leonard's bully in high school."

She desperately wanted to hear a certain memory that she shared with Sheldon. It happened only three weeks before the confrontation with Jimmy Speckerman. Amy hoped that he could at least remember that. "Earlier?"

If Sheldon thought harder, his head would have metaphorically exploded. It was frustrating for him to dig out pieces of what he had experienced deep into his brain. Amy waited longer for his answer, and it was worrying her even more. "I recall myself comparing my spot to a four-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system."

She let out the breath she was holding longer than she had needed to. "Great. When did you say that?" Amy didn't know that Sheldon had said that.

"Back in 2009."

"That's good. That means you remember what memory I had in my mind. Do you know anything else between that year and 2012?"

There was a longer pause than before.

"You said about us meeting. I-I can't remember what you said. The medicines made me drowsy and I wasn't paying attention." He whispered, dropping his eyes down to the hands on his lap.

Amy was stunned. She stared at Sheldon with a blank facial expression. Sheldon waved his hand in front of her eyes, trying to capture her attention and release her from her trance. "Amy? Hello?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat. He doesn't even remember the day that they signed the relationship agreement. The day Sheldon Cooper officially became her boyfriend. Not only her first boyfriend, but the best. Smart, tall, and lanky. Even though he wasn't like other romantic partners out there, he was enough for her. They shared deep science talks and she had an idea in mind that one day, maybe someday, they'll create genius babies and rule the world.

Amy knew that if he doesn't remember anything earlier than that, surely he doesn't remember the first day they met. The day that changed her.

She felt like crying. It hurt her. What if Dr. Barnett was right? What if he never regains the past memories?

"Fine. If you're not going to talk to me, I'm going to sleep." Sheldon said before lying on his side with his back against her.

Amy had nowhere to go. Leonard and Howard are working at that moment.

Even if Bernadette wasn't working, she was almost like a stranger to her, so why bother.

It seemed the she didn't have any interest in befriending the quirky neurobiologist.

Raj was still away.

The only thing she could do was pull out her phone and dial the first number that came in her mind.

Even though she did stress that she had no feelings or interest in him whatsoever, he was still a nice guy.

The phone rang, before she heard his voice. "Bert? It's Amy."

* * *

Penny breezed past the lobby and pushed down on the elevator button as hard as she could. It wasn't long when the doors opened and she rushed inside, before pressing the level her apartment was on. She tapped her foot on the floor, wishing this thing would go faster.

_I should have taken the stairs_, she whispered to herself. The doors opened once more and Penny found herself dashing down the hall and around the corner. She stood in front of the wooden door, fishing her apartment keys from her purse, and fumbled as she put the key into the lock. The front door swung open, and she entered a dimly lit room.

Underneath the bedroom doorway was light, and Penny knew Tyler was inside. She slipped off her flats and placed her purse, along with the keys, down on the table. As she walked towards their bedroom, she heard a woman's voice on the computer and wondered who it was. Penny was certain she had heard it before months ago.

She tiptoed quietly, and once she reached the door, Penny opened it slowly. She saw Tyler sitting in front of their computer as he skyped with someone. The door creaked, and Tyler turned his head suddenly to see Penny entering. "Hey." He softly greeted as she gave him a sincere smile.

"Pen, you remember Lisa, my sister?" He pointed to the video feed that showed Lisa waving hello to Penny before blowing her nose with a tissue. "We were just talking about..." The slight smile on his face that appeared when Penny walked in disappeared, and turned into a frown.

"I know." Penny brought another chair to sit next to him. She wrapped her left arm across his shoulders and pulled him close for a side hug, before kissing his cheek. "I'm so sorry. You and your family don't deserve this much pain and suffering."

Tyler kissed her forehead. "None of us do."

"Are you going to tell her?" Lisa asked from the computer. "The sooner you plan, the sooner you can head out."

"What are you going to tell me?" She looked at Lisa, then to Tyler's brown eyes.

He sighed. "I'm heading to Nebraska on the next flight available after this. I need to be there with my family, with my dad. I want to be there if he..." Tyler trailed off, not wanting to speak of the inevitable. "The cancer reached his brain now. Nothing can the doctors do, and it's only a matter of time before he's gone."

Penny's eyes started to tear up, and Tyler wiped them away with his fingers. He continued, "I want to say goodbye before he leaves. It will kill me if I don't get the chance to say it before it's too late."

"I'll pack a bag then." She said, standing up, before Tyler pulled her down back to her seat. "What?"

"You don't have to be there Pen. I know how much you wanted to leave Nebraska for good. It's my family, not yours."

"Don't say that. Whatever or whoever you care for, I do, too." Penny stood up again, but this time Tyler did as well, towering over her.

"You're not going to let me pay for your ticket." Tyler predicted.

"I can handle it Tyler." She argued.

He shook his head. "No. You can't afford that much money for an early flight. Stay here. I'll tell you what happens. You'll be there with me even though you're actually not."

"I can afford it. Please, let me-"

Tyler silenced her with a kiss. "It's a family matter. My family. And besides, I know you never really got along with Pops and my siblings."

Penny was annoyed about that. How she wished she was closer and friendlier with his family, who mocked her acting career, belittling her dreams.

"It's true." Lisa joked. "It's not that we hate you sweetie, it's just that being a professional actress is not a good career choice. You may not make it big."

She rolled her eyes. Oh, how she wanted to tell her about today. "Fine. But you call me every day. I need to hear your voice at least once to get me though the day."

Tyler nodded. "I will."

Penny hugged him once more, only to pull away when her phone began to vibrate against her jean's pocket. She took it out of its confinement and stared in shock at the caller I.D.

"Penny, dear? It's Barbara from earlier. I have some good news you would be interested in."

Based on Penny's facial expression, Tyler knew that California was the best place for her to be in, not back home living a simple life in Omaha.

* * *

Leonard swung the door to apartment 4A, and walked inside with Sheldon behind him. His left hand was still in a cast. The bruises and cuts all around his body were less noticeable now. His black eye was fading fast and Dr. Barnett estimated that in about three to five days, it'll be gone for good.

The cast would stay for at least two weeks more until it is fully healed. Sheldon was counting off the days until it gets removed, because he was tired of having it on him.

"Welcome home, buddy." Leonard said, watching Sheldon check the apartment intently.

Sheldon moved to the bookcase behind the couch, his eyes catching the figurines and collectibles displayed in it. In the back of his head, a voice was telling him that this was home; his sanctuary and safe haven. Above the bookcase was a Green Lantern figurine and The Flash miniatures.

He then walked to his desk, reading the unfinished papers of the theory he was working on before what had happened. Many of the words seemed familiar to Sheldon, and he knew that he had written them. Some parts of the paper he understood, but the others caused him to stare at them longer than usual. He fiddled with his laptop before going to the couch.

Sheldon sat in the middle cushion of the couch. Something was definitely not right. He looked over to the spot directly to his left, and scooted to that cushion. Leonard brought him a cup of tea from the kitchen, placing it on top of a coaster that laid on the coffee table. The spot he was sitting on was his (0,0,0,0), and the thought of it made him smile.

_This is definitely my spot_.

"What's on your mind?" Leonard asked, taking a seat on the arm rest of the chair closest to Sheldon's spot on the couch.

"Earlier this evening, Amy seemed distressed when I informed her of the memories I could remember. With each one I presented to her, she wanted me to go back farther, which was harder than you can imagine." Sheldon said as he picked up the cup of tea and blew softly into it.

Leonard continued the conversation. "What do you remember?"

Sheldon took a sip before telling his roommate his exact words back in the hospital. He never lost his eidetic memory, which was both a blessing and a curse to Leonard. He concluded that Sheldon probably still doesn't know how he met the guys, and knew what had upset Amy.

"Buddy, I think I know what made Amy upset."

He put his cup back down on the table. "What did I do or say?"

"Well, do you remember how you met her?" Sheldon shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't have any recollections of that day whatsoever. I still don't understand what that has to do with anything with Amy being upset."

"She's upset because you don't remember the most important day in your relationship. The day you guys met. Either that or signing that agreement with her."

He stared at his bespectacled roommate, wide-eyed. "Now who would sign an agreement for a relationship?" Sheldon was serious.

"You! You even made me sign an agreement before I moved in." Leonard reminded him.

"Alright. Well it sounds ridiculous." Sheldon crossed his arms on his chest.

Leonard muttered under his breath. "Tell that to yourself."

He ignored his comment. "How do you propose to make things better? I don't know how to regain my memories in a flash. They just appear gradually. When you mentioned the roommate agreement, it appeared somewhere in my head."

Leonard took off his glasses and rubbed the temples of his head. He wanted to help out his best friend, but was unsure how to. "What if my mother figures something out?"

"What makes your mother qualified?" He asked.

"She is a highly respected psychologist. Surely, demonstrated by previous experiences, a woman like my mother is more than qualified to bring back some of your lost memories."

Sheldon nodded in agreement. "I see. Please let me know if she has said anything about aiding me in this situation. It is 7:30 and I am very tired." He began to get out of his seat and walked down the hall leading to the bathroom and bedrooms.

"You're not eating dinner?" Leonard called out. "Howard and Bernadette are coming in a few. It's Thai food night."

He reentered the living room with a confused look. "What does that entail?"

Leonard looked at him. "Seriously? Not even the Sheldonian calendar?" Sheldon just stared back at him. "Umm... You usually get Mee krob and chicken satay with extra peanut sauce from the restaurant nearby every Monday night. We eat here with everyone else."

"Every Monday night?"

"Yes." Leonard clarified. "You have a huge schedule and have daily routines. You don't know this stuff?"

"What kind of man was I?" Sheldon asked. Who would have a life filled with planned events and fixed tasks every day?

He thought for a minute. "Why don't I type up your usual schedule while you wait for the food? Deal?"

Sheldon sighed. This was going to be one Herculean task ahead of him to remember all the idiosyncrasies, schedules, routines, theories, and interests he had before losing his memory.

"Deal."

* * *

"Again, I'm so sorry about all of this. We've been through so much, and I could feel you hurting. Remember that I'm always here for you, okay?" Penny reached out for Tyler's hands on his lap as he leaned down, his forehead touching hers.

Tyler brushed the piece of hair away from her face. "Don't worry too much. Pops is a fighter. He still has a chance. Plus, you have your acting career. I mean a role on television? Pen, that's amazing and I'm proud of you." He kissed her waiting lips. "I love you."

Penny looked up directly. Ten years after meeting each other, which included three years of dating, five years of friendship, and the past two as a couple again, she still hasn't said those three words. Tyler was a nice guy, a better man than anyone else whom she has been with. He sacrificed a great deal to move down to California.

He cared for her, and supported her most of the time. A part of her was telling her that Tyler doesn't deserve a community college drop up with aspirations of becoming a movie star. He needed someone more successful and not a failure at everything she does.

Why couldn't she say it? They've been together for so long now and she trusted him with all her heart. She could see a future ahead of them- but for Penny, she honestly thought that they aren't going to get married and have any children. She guessed that Tyler will be caught up with his work. Oh, how he loves his work and is very loyal to his company. Over the past week, she had only seen him when he came home after ten or ten thirty. He would leave before she's up, and it wasn't really good for their relationship.

Penny's day offs were on Wednesdays and Fridays. Tyler worked longer hours on those days. He had the weekend off, but even if Penny wasn't working, Tyler would be doing something work related. It bothered her, and they haven't been talking as much as when they first met.

What if this role flies her to new places? What if she becomes a famous actress and it takes up most of her time? Penny wouldn't be able to see much of Tyler, and it was upsetting.

Maybe this time away was a good thing. Let her ponder about the future she might have with this man. See if she can live life normally without him.

Tyler squeezed her hand, and Penny snapped out of her head. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

He kissed her lips one more time and reached for the opened the car door. Tyler looked to Penny one more time. "I know what you were thinking. We'll talk about it when I come back. Take care of yourself, Pen."

Penny watched him exit the car and walk inside the airport. Why second guess her feelings now? _Tyler bought you a car for Christ's sake_, she cursed herself.

The spark that was once there was diminishing by the second, and Penny wasn't sure how to ignite it again. Two weeks alone in her apartment might be a good or bad thing in disguise, but she wasn't sure how it would be.

**A/N:**

**I got stuck finishing this chapter, but I'm proud of how it's written.  
**

**And get ready for more Shenny scenes in the following chapters ahead.**


	5. Reminiscence of the Past

**A/N:**

**This was supposed to be longer, but I decided to split it into two parts.  
**

**Borrowed some of the dialogue from past episodes in this chapter. **

**Without further ado...**

_"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." _

_-C.G. Jung_

Sheldon stretched his lanky body after getting out of bed. He went to bed late at night shortly after having Thai food with Leonard, Howard, and his wife Bernadette. They mostly talked about science things, which Sheldon understood for the most part.

He then focused his attention to the comic books placed on the bookshelf.

Randomly selecting one, he held it in his hand before sitting down on his mattress and started flipping through each page. His mind was drawn to the characters and word bubbles on the page. He mouthed the words as he read with a childish grin on his face. When he reached the last page, Sheldon was disappointed that it was all over, but his excitement went up knowing he had over a few hundred other comic books to read and explore.

He placed the rare issue of Amazing Spider-man #129 back to where it belonged, and peered through the other bins containing the rest of his comic books. Sheldon searched for one that captured all of his attention, and soon enough, he pulled out The Flash #247. Before he sat down again, someone on the other side of the bedroom door started to knock softly. "Sheldon, you awake?" he heard Leonard ask.

"I am. Come in." Sheldon responded, and Leonard swiftly opened the door. He stayed standing behind the doorway, looking at his roommate in confusion. "Would you like a formal invitation to enter?"

Leonard shook his head. "No, it's just you never let anyone enter your room without hesitation."

"You're saying that I forbid people to go to my bedroom?" Sheldon placed the comic book down on the bed.

"That's what you said. Another thing, Sheldon, is that when you read comic books, you use the disposable reading gloves in your night stand to keep any contaminants away from the page." Leonard pointed to the wooden night stand beside Sheldon's bed. He turned around and slowly opened to drawer, taking out the gloves that Leonard was talking about. "Not only does it not ruin your comic books, it also prevents paper cuts."

Sheldon held the gloves in his hands. "Fascinating."

"Anyways, I wanted to tell you that I'm about to leave for work."

"When do I go back to the university?"

"President Siebert told me that you may start working again once you are fully recovered. Physically and mentally." Leonard informed him.

"Is Siebert my boss?"

"Yes. Mine as well." He added.

Sheldon glanced around his bedroom, unsure of what to do. "What should I do to occupy myself for the time being?" Maybe he could spend his entire day reading his collection of comic books or watching television. He could also try to understand at least some of his work or solve the unfinished equations lingering in his head.

"Do whatever you want. Just don't get hurt. I'll be home by like six so we can get to the Cheesecake Factory by 6:30. Sounds cool?"

Thanks to Leonard's printed out schedule for Sheldon to have, he knew that they were going to that specific restaurant because it was Tuesday. All of a sudden, a scene inside his head began to play out as Leonard stared at him gazing out into space.

_"Why do we have to eat here?" Sheldon whined as his three friends sat down on the table. He refused to join them; standing in the middle of the restaurant with his arms crossed and pouted lips. "Tuesday nights are reserved for Big Boy, and since it is Tuesday night, we should be seated in our usual table at Big Boy. Provide one good explanation to why we are here instead."  
_

_"Because it's Raj's birthday and we promised to do whatever he wanted to do today. He didn't want to eat at Big Boy, so we are eating here instead as per Raj's sincere request." Howard said, picking up the menu from the table and read the entrées available."_

_"That is not a good enough explanation." He protested. _

_Leonard brought the menu back down from his eyesight. "Sheldon, it's just one night. I promise to take you to Big Boy next Tuesday night. You don't have to be stubborn about this. Now, stop acting like a baby, take a seat, and pick out anything from the menu. If you do not bring up a conversation about how we changed your 'perfect' schedule, the next comic book you buy is on me. Understood?"_

_Sheldon dropped his arms down to his side and sat down beside Leonard with an annoyed face. "Fine. They should at least have a decent burger here."_

_"Relax," Raj said with a smile, "you'll probably like the burger here than over there and you will thank us for this."_

_He looked at his foreign friend with an expression of exhaustion and ever so slight amusement. "I highly doubt that."_

_"Come on, please be happy with this. It's my birthday! At least I didn't drag you out to a strip club where you would probably disinfect the pretty women with a can of Lysol." _

_Howard rolled his eyes. "We could have gone to one instead of watching that Sandra Bullock movie."_

_"I'm still unhappy about this arrangement." Sheldon complained. "I want my Big Boy burger."_

_Leonard had enough. "Sheldon, don't make me climb on this table and choke you. Please let it go. You're a grown man and capable of change, even for one night!"_

_"Okay, Leonard. But if my stomach experiences any kind of distress tonight, it's all on you."  
_

Leonard waved his hands in front of Sheldon. When he finally blinked, Leonard waited for him to make another move. "I have experienced a flashback of a past memory." Sheldon informed him.

"What was it about?" He tilted his head to the taller physicist.

"It was the first time we dined out to the Cheesecake Factory. Leonard, I do not appreciate the death threats you make so I please ask you to refrain from any more of it in the future."

"Umm... Sure. Only if you don't whine about change again." Leonard glanced over to the clock on the bedroom wall. "Crap, I have to go now if I don't want to be stuck in traffic. Call or text me if you need anything." He rushed out of the room.

When Sheldon heard the front door shut from his bedroom, he picked up the comic book again and sat on his bed. Flipping to the first page, he began to read again.

* * *

_"I can't believe he fired me." _

_Sheldon ascended the stairs with Leonard to his left. His hands gripped tightly on the heavy box containing all of his things in the office. Never did his mind cross the possibility that the new department head would lay him off an hour after he got to the party. He was being honest all through the night, and wondered what ticked Dr. Gablehauser to do such (what he perceived to be) an unnecessary act on one of the greatest minds of the 21st century._

_"Well, you did call him a glorified high-school science teacher whose last successful experiment was lighting his own farts" Leonard thought that was hilarious, only upsetting Sheldon even more._

_"In my defense, I prefaced that by saying 'with all due respect.'"  
_

Sheldon stopped flickering the lights in his bathroom on and off when the scene inside his head ended. He watched the goldfish swimming around the glass tank.

After he went through maybe fifteen comic books, Sheldon found the paper he wrote about luminous fish about six years ago. He was intrigued by the experiment he conducted that it inspired him to recreate it once more. The pet store nearest to him was a block away and there he purchased a small ordinary goldfish along with a tank for it to house in.

It took him only one try to perfect the luminous fish experiment, and was enthralled by the end results. He spent at least five minutes afterwards observing the little water creature as it swam normally in its confinement. The experiment also brought him back the memory of the other things he did, like how he wanted to fix everyone's eggs...

_"I finally have the time to test my hypothesis, about the separation of the water molecules from the egg proteins, and its impact vis-à-vis taste."_

And when Leonard called up his mother in Texas and told his mother about his unusual behavior...

_"Yes, well I'm not a child, I'm a grown man capable of living my life as I see fit. And I certainly don't need someone telling on me to my mother."_

Sheldon also remembered his late father's way with words...

_"You know how your daddy used to say that you can only fish for so long before you got to throw a stick of dynamite in the water?"_

Walking into the living room, Sheldon made his way to his desk and placed the tank on top of it. He then hears five knocks on the door and went over there to answer it. Once the door swung open, an Indian man stood in front of him with luggage in his hands. Leonard informed him last night that Raj was planning on dropping by their apartment when he gets back from San Francisco. "Sheldon! You look great!" Raj grinned wide as Sheldon move his body to the side for his friend to enter. "The guys told me about your memory loss and I want to ask, do you remember who I am?"

"Yes. You are Rajesh." Sheldon closed the door before following Raj to the couch. "Though I do know your name, I am still at lost by who you and the others are. I've received portions of my memory back, but not enough for me to know you."

"This must be hard. I mean, Leonard told me when you guys were still in the hospital about how you had no idea who we were."

Sheldon sat down on his spot and turned to face Raj. "You are all strangers to me."

Raj's smile dropped. "Oh. Well, you did say you got some back? Any good ones that gives you a clue about who we are?"

"I now know that Leonard likes to tattletale to my mother and Howard is extremely revengeful when it comes to a parking spot and an Iron Man helmet." Sheldon shuddered at the memory of Howard's bare buttocks on his leather couch, and slightly shifted in his seat.

"That was wrong of him. Anyways, are you doing anything to help bring them back?"

Sheldon shrugged his shoulders. "Not intentionally, I do pick up some memories when I do things. Just before you came in, I was experimenting on luminous fish after reading a paper I wrote the first time I conducted it. Would you like to see my findings?"

"I'll pass, but one more question," Raj cleared his throat. "Do you even want to remember those memories?"

Raj was met with silence and a stare from Sheldon. "Silly question. Forget that I said it."

"It's impossible for me to forget it, Rajesh. I do have my eidetic memory still intact." Sheldon reminded him. "And to answer what you think is a silly question, I do. It's a challenging situation since I cannot force them to appear in my head. As I've told Leonard before, they appear gradually and over time. I will make you aware of any progress about this." Raj nodded, understanding his word.

"Do you have plans for dinner?"

"I was told that we are dining at The Cheesecake Factory for tonight since it is Tuesday." Sheldon said.

Raj paused. "We don't have to go there tonight. Would you rather stay here and order in?"

"Maybe another time. Leonard seemed to be pretty excited eating there later. It baffles me."

"Has he told you about the blonde?"

Sheldon cocked his right eyebrow at his friend. "Who?"

"The woman who works there. Leonard told me over the phone about meeting the blonde who was in the alley with you until the ambulances came. He likes her." Raj shared.

"But he barely knows her."

"Yeah, but you know how Leonard is. He'll fall in love with any girl who laughs at his stupid jokes. There was this one time when he slept with that cosmological physicist who was staying over here. He actually thought they had something special, even though we all knew she had a raging libido and only wanted to have some fun that night."

Sheldon scratched his head. The memory of Elizabeth Plimpton came into his mind.

_"Elizabeth's my friend and you're playing with her!"_

"I do recall that time."

"Umm, I want to tell you something, but promise not to repeat it to anyone."

Sheldon nodded.

"Wow. You usually don't like keeping secrets, but oh well." Raj cleared his throat. "I think it's best for you not to remember any of your past memories."

"Why not?"

"Well, it's because I don't want you remembering all the crap Leonard, Howard, and I pulled on you. When they called me in San Francisco and told me about your accident, I immediately started thinking of how I would feel when I lose you. When I first came to this country, it wasn't surprising that I didn't have any friends. Everyone wasn't as friendly as the people in movies. Then I met Howard, Leonard, and you. Since then, I'm always confident, knowing you three have my back. But our friendship wasn't perfect. There were times when we did devious things to you and made fun of you. If you died knowing that we did not seem sorry about our actions, it would make me feel like I was as horrible as the bully who drew that penis on my forehead."

"What kind of things did you do to me?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't think you should know." Raj got out of his seat and walked to the refrigerator. Sheldon followed him and sat on one of the bar stools as his friend drank the beer he obtained from the fridge.

"I'm going to remember it sooner or later."

Raj placed the beer down on the table. "What if you don't and it stays hidden from you."

"Please. I want to know. It doesn't help me when you keep pieces of my past with you. Only you, my friends, know all these things about me right now."

"What if you hate us for all of those things?"

Sheldon shrugged his shoulders. "We won't know until I find out."

Raj sighed. "Fine. Please, you have the right to be mad at us. Truth be told, I do not believe we deserve to be friends because of our treatment of you. You are a remarkable and exceptional man who does not need our dishonesty."

And with that, Raj told him all the wrongdoings they had done to Sheldon for the past ten years since they met.

* * *

Leonard paid the cashier before picking up his tray with his lunch and walked over to where Howard was sitting. Howard ended the call he was having when Leonard took a seat across from him.

"Who was that?" Leonard asked, as he began to munch on his salad for lunch.

"It was Raj, he called me saying that he just left your apartment and he's on his way home." Howard responded.

"Did he mention how Sheldon's doing?"

"Yeah, he said something about luminous fish or whatever."

Leonard paused, and recalled that day when he came home to find Sheldon feeding a goldfish and discussed with him about getting his job back by apologizing to Gablehauser. Because of his very unusual behavior, he had to call his mother in Texas. He needed to when Sheldon purchased a loom and had already made several place mats. _One of the great minds of the twenty-first century is raising glow-in-the-dark fish and weaving serapes._ "I guess he got that memory back."

Howard capped the water bottle he was drinking from. "What do you mean?"

"He did that seven years ago, remember? His mom came here all the way from Galveston to get him to think straight again."

"Oh, yeah." They sat there in silence before Howard began to speak again. "What are we going to do with Sheldon if he doesn't get his memory back?"

Leonard thought for a second. "I don't know. He doesn't remember any of those stupid Roommate Agreement clauses. It would be fun again to use the bathroom when I need to instead of a specific time."

"We could eat pizza on Friday nights instead. Oh, Sheldon doesn't know that he's not that interested in wanting to learn how to drive."

"We could tell him to get a license for himself." Leonard smirked.

"But what if he asks why he doesn't have one yet? We can't say the mugger took it. Sheldon would have to go through all the process with the instructor."

"I bet we can make him. Wow, I always thought Sheldon without memories would be bad."

"How?" Howard asked, raising his brow.

"I mean, I thought we would have to spell everything out for him. But it seems like he's doing good on his own. No complaints about his routines. He hasn't been the condescending jerk he was ever since he got knocked out. Maybe this is a silver lining for us. We can mold Sheldon into a better man." Leonard imagined a life with Sheldon being normal. He wanted to experience that badly.

"Leonard, you know he's still getting memories back. He may or may not become the man we would want him to be."

"Don't ruin it for me, Howard. We'll see if we can use Sheldon to our advantage. We can do _anything_ we want as long as he knows less."

"Uhh, that seems like an okay idea. If he remembers everything and yells at us for taking advantage of him and his memory impairment, I'm pointing the blame on you."

"Fine." Leonard drank his water bottle. "Let's see if we can watch Babylon 5 again."

Out of the corner of Howard's eye, he sees Dr. Gablehauser approaching their table. "Good afternoon, gentlemen," he greets the two.

"Dr. Gablehauser." Leonard and Howard said simultaneously.

"I would like to know any progress your friend Dr. Cooper has made since his hospitalization."

Leonard looks to Howard, then back to the head of the physics department. "Sheldon lost his memory as you were told, and he hasn't been getting that many back."

Dr. Gablehauser sighed. "It would be devastating if he doesn't get it back. He is an asset to the scientific world, and his brain does many wonders. Please give my best wishes to Dr. Cooper for a fast and full recovery. In addition, we would appreciate it if you assist him in remembering all of his memories. Losing his brilliance is equal to losing him here at Caltech. No matter how quirky, we do admire his great capacity. Contact my office if anything happens. Good day."

The two said goodbye before Gablehauser left their table. "He's right. If Sheldon doesn't get his smartness back, he's not going to be any good here and may lose his job." Howard said.

"So? He'll get another one."

Howard stared at his friend. "Wow."

"What?"

"It sounds like you don't really care if Sheldon regains his memories."

"I do, but do you really want the old Sheldon back? The one who always makes fun of you for not having a doctorate? The one who lowers your self-esteem and loves to correct you every time he gets? The one who doesn't let you whistle in the apartment? The one-"

"I get it." Howard interrupted. "You don't have to list Dr. Crazy's bad traits or else we would be sitting her all day."

"Good. Are we still on for Cheesecake Factory tonight?"

Howard rolled his eyes. "You really want to meet that Penny girl again, don't you?

Leonard smiled and nodded, then they continued eating in silence.

* * *

Tuesdays at the restaurant were busier than ever.

Penny have had her shift extended, causing her to work until the first half of the dinner shift. She absolutely wanted an increase of tips to buy those cute pair of Louboutins she had eyed online for days. Instead of complaining through the rest of shift, Penny put on one of her best smiles and released her outgoing and friendly nature. She ignored the usual flirting patrons, and the children running around and making a mess in the restaurant.

"Thank you, sir. Have a nice evening and come again soon!" Penny picked up the black checkbook on to table as the older man left the table. _I do deserve the $25 tip after all the ogling you gave me during your meal_, she thought to herself as she walked over to the computer. She estimated that she had about $100 from tips she made her entire shift, and was getting closer and closer to her goal.

She checked the clock hammered on the wall, and realized her break had started. Penny reached for the phone and dialed Tyler's number that she memorized by heart. It took him a couple of rings before he finally answered and she smiled at the sound of his voice. "Tyler, hey! How's Nebraska?"

"Pen! It's great to hear your voice. Nebraska's still Nebraska. Nothing really different has happened after we packed and left." Tyler said with a small chuckle.

"How's your father?" She regretted asking that question, knowing that he was hurting and probably best to not talk about it.

Tyler heaved out a long sigh. "He's not getting better. The doctors are already starting to talk about how long he has till he's gone."

"Oh," was all that Penny could say. "This is a tough time for you and I have no words to say but know I'm here for you."

"Thanks."

Penny smiled. "You're welcome."

They talked on the phone the whole time during Penny's break. She told him that she was going to pick up her script for her first television role tomorrow morning and how she was excited that things were working out well for her acting career.

It was five minutes before six when Penny said goodbye to Tyler, informing him that her break is about to end and she had to get back to work. Tyler ended the call with another 'I love you,' hoping to get the same response. Instead, Penny dismissed it quickly and responded with a barely audible 'okay,' then hung up the phone. She felt sick to her stomach, knowing how unfair she was treating him. Penny shook her head and held it up high. Only two more hours and she can finally leave this place.

* * *

"Welcome to The Cheesecake Factory, how many?" A bright bubbly brunette asked as she touched the stack of menus on the podium. She then realized who they were after not seeing the group for an entire week. "Oh, Dr. Cooper and friends. I almost forgot about you guys. Why haven't I seen you for a long time?"

"Sheldon here got in a little trouble and was at the hospital." Leonard said. "He's got some pretty bad memory loss and doesn't remember most things."

"Not even the table he permanently reserved?" The brunette turned her head to give Sheldon a little wave and smile. "I feel bad for him and how many times I called him crazy."

"Well, he's still the same Sheldon, minus the quirks and annoying part of him." Leonard gave her a cheeky grin. "Oh, Sheldon, this is Miranda. You would usually mock her life choices when we came to eat."

"I apologize for what I have told you. It won't happen again in the foreseeable future." Sheldon said. Raj and Howard looked to each other in surprise from behind.

Miranda nodded, and took four menus with her before leading them to their table. "Also, Sheldon, the waitress who usually comes here and takes your orders quit last week. But I trust you, your new server will handle your food properly like before." After a few other remarks, Miranda left the table and back to the podium.

Sheldon cautiously looked around the restaurant searching for a particular blonde waitress. When Howard told him that Penny was working there, he had been secretly hoping that he would come across her again soon. He wondered if the new waitress the Miranda was talking about happened to be Penny, and he felt his heart racing at the thought of meeting her once more.

Raj noticed Sheldon with his eyes wandering everywhere from the table and leaned into Howard's ear. "What's gotten into him?"

Howard examined Sheldon for a moment before whispering to his friend. "Seems like Homo Novus has a little crush on the girl who saved his life."

"Don't say that. He's with Amy, and you know it almost impossible for him to have feelings for someone else." Raj said.

Howard shook his head. "I know that face. I had the face on every time a girl gives me that come-hither look."

"But this is SHELDON COOPER we are talking about."

"Yes, but after losing his memory, he has been acting differently compared to the Sheldon we all know and _love_." Howard ended his sentence albeit sarcastically.

A flash of blonde in the corner of Sheldon's eyes caused him to turn sharply to his left, only to see their new waitress approach them with a notepad and pencil. Unfortunately, she wasn't the one he was looking for the moment he entered the restaurant

"Hi, my name is Patricia. What would you guys like to order?"

**I'll post the following chapter tomorrow. Promise :)  
**

**Just a little tease but shenny meets again in the next one.**


	6. When Sheldon met Penny

_"The betrayal of trust carries a heavy taboo."_

_-Aldrich Ames_

Throughout his meal, Sheldon felt uncomfortable eating with his so-called friends. After Raj revealed the heinous acts that they have committed, he had been distancing himself from the group of men. Raj understood why he did that, knowing that Sheldon felt betrayed and knew more bad things about them than good. When Leonard tried asking him why he was acting differently tonight, Sheldon shrugged his shoulders and lied that he was getting a stomach ache. Leonard dropped the conversation before moving on to talk about where Penny was.

Sheldon pretended not to care. He sat there quietly eating his barbeque bacon cheeseburger as Leonard went on and on about Penny. The topic of her caused him to look up and around the restaurant, hoping to catch the glimpse of the blonde waitress he had wanted to see again. He had a feeling that she was in there with him, and he wished to say something before he left.

"She's just beautiful, and even though we didn't talk that much when we saw each other here, I think she's a delightful young woman. If I see her, I'll try and get her number, so wish me luck." Leonard said as he turned his head to find Penny. He flagged down Patricia who was on her way to their table with the deserts they ordered. "Excuse me, do you know if Penny is working the shift tonight?"

"Penny? Never heard a Penny and I've worked here for almost five years. She might be new and I haven't met her." Patricia placed Leonard's carrot cake and Sheldon's hot fudge sundae in front of them. Leonard scraped off the cream cheese icing away, and Sheldon remembered that he was lactose intolerant.

_"I love cheesecake."_

_"You're lactose intolerant."_

_"I don't eat it, I just think it's a good idea."_

"Well, she has blonde hair like yours, longer though. She has green eyes- and... perfect." Leonard drooled at the thought of Penny and her looks, causing Sheldon to roll his eyes for the umpteenth time that night.

Patricia nodded. "Alright, I'll look out for this Penny. Call me over if you need anything else."

"Dude, you just broke up with my sister like three weeks ago." Raj informed him.

Leonard looked at his friend across from him. "So?"

"So? Don't you think you're going too fast? You don't know anything else about her and only like her because of her looks. When you were still with Priya, you told her how much in love you were."

"Oh. Well, Priya cheated on me back in India. And Penny's not only pretty. She's... funny, too."

"Really? What did she do that you found funny?" Sheldon asked.

Leonard paused. "Uhh... she was cracking up jokes when she took our orders. That's gotta count. Anyways, I do believe I'm harboring feelings for her and I want to see if things can work out with us."

"Are you even sure that she is single?" Sheldon dropped his gaze to his smaller companion.

"That didn't come up. Maybe we'll go out for coffee as friends before moving forward."

Sheldon sighed, reached down for the napkin on his lap and placed it on the table, and then excused himself to use the restroom.

Howard turned his head behind him and watch as Sheldon walk away. "Gee, what's wrong with him? Did he remember something bad?"

"Possibly the time when my grandmother with Alzheimer's had that episode during Thanksgiving and she took her clothes off. He's probably mad at me for inviting her to our apartment in the first place." Leonard guessed as he proceeded to take a bite out of his carrot cake.

* * *

Splashing cold water to his face, he thought about the burning questions inside his head waiting to be answered.

The most important one was why his friends stayed with him even after they realize he was 'too much of a burden he was in their lives'. Raj did not use those exact words, but based on what he told Sheldon, it made it sound like he was. Sheldon could not do much at that moment. It was more of a forgive and (though impossible for him) forget kind of a situation. It happened in the past, so it should stay in the past.

The only thing that was bothering him more than it should have was how he felt during those situations. Yes, Raj told him what he did to them as a result, but he wondered if he ever forgave them. According to Raj, he never actually told them if he accepted their apologies or if the other two regretted their actions. He only issued them strikes and asked them not to repeat it once more.

What they did to him in the Arctic was one he could not believe. Leonard, Howard, and Raj knew how important science was to him. The three had the audacity to tamper with his experiment, causing him to be the laughing-stock of the university when he published false data. It didn't end there for Sheldon, because the people in the scientific world doubted his abilities and often question the papers that he submits. In other words, because of the Arctic expedition, most scientists were not able to take him seriously.

But there were even more things that they have done.

Sheldon was thrilled when NPR had called him requesting to interview him over to phone from his office.

_"Are you really going to be on NPR?"_

_"Yes, they're interviewing me by phone from my office, regarding the recent so-called discovery of magnetic monopoles in spin-ices. It's pledge week and they're trying to goose the ratings with a little controversy."_

_"Very cool, congratulations."_

_"Thank you. My mother is very excited. She's convening her Bible study group to listen in, and then pray for my soul."_

Raj told Sheldon how the three of them thought about pulling a prank on him during the phone call. They came up with the idea that Kripke executed for them. Kripke planted a hose connected to a helium tank, which he released into Sheldon's office. As he continued talking, Sheldon noticed a slight change in his voice, and at first he thought it was just something in his throat. His voice got higher and squeakier, and Sheldon knew that something was definitely up. He abruptly ended the interview and ran out of the room. He walked through the corridors, feeling a little light-headed. Entering the cafeteria, he watched as Raj, Leonard, and Howard, as well as the others in the room, laughing uncontrollably.

Sheldon frowned and decided to head home alone.

Only Raj saw him leave.

Leonard and Raj later found him in curled up in his bed, humiliated and depressed. He ignored their apologies for not doing anything about it as they listened to the broadcast. They lied, saying it was all Kripke's idea, and were able to convince Sheldon on blaming it all on him. He even executed a revenge plan along with their help, only to end up being reprimanded by the president of the university.

A week later, Kripke came up to him and confessed.

_"Cooper, I apologize for taking part of a wrongful doing that resulted in embarrassment to you. Human Resources called me up and explained how inappropriate and uncalled that was for." Kripke said with a meaningful and apologetic voice._

_Sheldon nodded. "Alright, Kripke."_

_"And I hope that you would forgive Leonard, Howard, and Raj, too."_

_He shot him a glare. "What do you mean by that?"_

_"You didn't know? They were the ones who gave me the idea. They are as guilty as I am, too. Leonard was even the one who supplied the helium tank."_

After learning about their treachery and deceit, Sheldon marched to the trio. Enraged and betrayed, he yelled at them like how his father did when Sheldon or his siblings have done something wrong.

_"Kripke has informed me of you three partaking in the incident last week." _

_Howard stood up, checking his watch. "Gee, I would love to know what we did, but I have to go pick up Bern-"_

_Sheldon pointed to the couch with a stern face. "Sit back down."_

_Leonard looked warily around the room. "Sheldon, we don't know what you're talking about."_

_"No, Leonard," Sheldon started to raise his voice higher, "you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about."_

_"Sheldon, you may have misunderstood. It was a tiny prank, no one got hurt and it was all for laughs." Raj tried to explain, but only made the situation worse._

_"ALL FOR LAUGHS? What did I do that made me deserve of this tomfoolery? You knew how important this was and that it was a live broadcast. Is it that I am, to use your words, annoying and insufferable that caused the three of you to betray me once more?"_

_"Look, we're sorry. Really, we are. Right guys?" Howard asked, as they nodded simultaneously._

_Sheldon had enough. "I do not need your apologies. They do not mean anything to me anymore. You do not understand that just by saying 'I'm sorry,' does not mean that damage can be undone and we'll all resume our normal lives. It no longer does. Even if you say it a thousand times, I know in a matter of time, you will repeat such offense, and expect me to forgive you."_

_"Please, Sheldon, calm down. It was-" Raj spoke, but Sheldon hushed him._

_"It was not a joke. It was not a prank. It was to sabotage me for all the crap I have done, you don't have to say it. Did you also know that I could have died right there in my office? With the lack of oxygen when all the helium released into my office, I should be inside a casket by now." Sheldon headed down the hallway leading to his room. Leonard got out of his seat and tried to follow him. Sheldon turned around one last time. His eyes were watery and exhausted._

_"Do not speak to me. Any of you. If the time permits, I will see if you are worthy of my trust again, but by the looks of it, you have a very small chance of that happening." Sheldon stormed inside his bedroom without another word._

It wasn't until three weeks later when they all saw Sheldon for more than thirty seconds. Since his outburst, they have not seen him that often. No longer did he join them for Halo night or eat Chinese food in the living room. Those three long weeks were quiet and different. The three thought that things would still be the same with Sheldon gone, but found that he was regularly brought up in their conversations no matter how hard they tried not to.

Sheldon wasn't doing any better. He was late to work several times since the buses to work took forever to ride in. He would sneak out of his room when he was sure no one else was outside.

Leonard would sometimes leave food that he bought for him, but the next morning, it would still be there.

Three weeks of no Sheldon. It seemed like heaven to them first, but it never felt like it. Once they cornered Sheldon inside the apartment and there was no way for him to leave, they apologized over and over again. They put on their best faces and hoped to be forgiven. Sheldon listened to each of their explanations and nodded as they finished.

He started to hang outside his room more often.

Leonard drove him to work.

Two weeks later, Sheldon began to speak to them.

After listening to his Raj's extensive narrative, Sheldon noted how Raj didn't say that he told them he forgave them for their actions.

He should feel betrayed by his friends. He shouldn't even call them friends. But he figured that it took him years to find one that stuck around long enough that he was dependent on them, and with them gone, it'll cause some kind of chaos and disruption in his routines and schedules.

Sheldon wiped his face with a paper towel and looked at himself one more time before exiting the bathroom.

* * *

His table was on the other side of the restaurant, and Sheldon had a lot of filled tables to pass through. There were several children running around, and some bumped into him as he minded his own business. The aisles were packed and he had to squeeze through people standing in the middle of them. It was a child's birthday party, which explained the abundance of children and adults in one area of the room.

There was a small crowd gathering around a table singing 'happy birthday' to a small girl with brown pigtails. Her cake had a candle in the shape of a three and the little girl waved at Sheldon as he passed by. He became distracted by her gesture that he didn't realize he bumped into one of the waitresses walking opposite to his direction. Sheldon glanced down to see the plates that the waitress had dropped because of him, so he lowered himself onto the floor and attempted to pick the shards of glass out of the floor.

A hand stopped him from continuing, so he pulled himself up, only to meet face to face with the woman he was hoping to see throughout the entire night.

"Hey." Penny softly whispered as a busboy ran to them and started sweeping the mess away. She pulled him over to the other side of the room away from the crowd. "You should have left the glass alone or else they would have cut your fingers."

"I know. Should have thought of it before I bent down." Sheldon chuckled. "Penny, I haven't seen you since you visited the hospital. H-how are you?"

She smiled."I'm fine, but what about you? I mean you don't look as bad as you did when we first met. How's everything now?"

"I'm still recovering, physically and mentally."

"Mentally, huh? That son of a bitch took a toll on your emotions. I would so go all junior rodeo on him if I found out who this idiot is." Penny clenched her fist and playfully punched Sheldon gently on his chest, careful not to hurt him.

"The events that I experienced did not mentally scar me. Though I am a bit afraid of walking around dark alley at night, I was referring to the temporary amnesia associated with this."

"Aww, well I hope everything comes back." Sheldon sighed, and sat down on the chair closest to him. Penny hovered by his side, waiting for a response.

"I don't know if I want them to."

Penny sat directly across from him. "Why not? Don't you want to know who you are and how your life is?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "My friend informed me earlier about how my other friends betrayed me countless times, and I want to not remember how angry I felt that day."

"I don't understand."

"Let me put it this way. I realize that I do not have that much friends. I only have my girlfriend Amy, Leonard, Howard, and Rajesh. Most of my colleagues at work avoid any type of communication with me. Raj revealed to me the treachery that they, with the exception of Amy, have committed. Although I now know it, I do not recall the exact feelings I had when I found of what they have done the first time. I must have felt betrayed, and it's understandable. But for some reason, they stayed with me and I let them into my life once again. A part of me wants to know why, and the other does not. The reason being is that if I end up not knowing, then it would almost be like a new page."

"A new page?"

"Yes, or in other words, start all over. I do not wish to feel how betrayed I was."

"What if they do come back, even though you don't want them to?"

Sheldon looked up to her face, his eyes locking with her green ones. "Then it is a burden I must live with till the end."

"Wow, it seems like you can't trust anyone that easily." Penny said, in which Sheldon nodded in agreement. "But what about your girlfriend? Amy, right?"

"That's her name, and I have not seen or spoken to her as much as she promised."

"Do you have her number?"

"Yes, but I did try to contact her and said she would call back whenever she can."

Penny bit her lip. "That's not a very good girlfriend if she leaves you feeling alone and hurt."

Sheldon listened to her statement, and agreed with her. Amy had promised him several times back at the hospital that no matter what happens, she would be there with him. Lately, she hasn't been there, and it upset Sheldon even more knowing that she broke her promise. He knew she was still feeling down about him not remembering the memories they shared that Amy cherished, but she could have at least tried to help him.

They sat together in a brief moment of silence before a small tap on the shoulder caused Sheldon to look behind and see his bespectacled roommate.

"Hey, Sheldon. We've been searching for you throughout the restaurant. We're about to leave." Leonard said, seeming a bit flustered and acting shy around him and Penny. He blushed when his eye met Penny's. "It's nice to see you again, Penny. I'll take Sheldon away so he won't bother you anymore, and you can get back to work."

Penny sighed. "He's not bothering me, I can still hang around for a few minutes. None of my tables are done eating anyways."

"Leonard, I'm currently speaking to Penny here." Sheldon pointed out after noticing Leonard just standing there awkwardly next to him.

"We have to go, Sheldon. I have work tomorrow and you need your REM sleep or whatever you call it."

"But I'm-" Sheldon began, but was interrupted by Penny standing straight up.

"Your friend's right. I'll get back to work." She turned around and walked away.

Sheldon was annoyed at Leonard for cutting his conversation with her short. "Fine, let's go."

They reached the front entrance of the Cheesecake Factory, but stopped for a minute to zip up their jackets to keep them warm outside in the cool air. Sheldon was behind them, watching his friends laugh about some ridiculous dirty joke Howard made. He rolled his eyes after seeing their immaturity. He felt someone tug on his right arm, and saw that it was Penny.

She slipped a piece of paper inside his hand and gave a gentle squeeze on his arm before Leonard called him over.

* * *

That night, before he went to sleep, Sheldon unfolded the note that Penny gave him.

_I understand how you feel. If you need anyone to talk to, always know that I'm here. I could use at least one decent friend like you in my life. Please, don't hesitate to contact me for anything. I'll be the friend you want to have standing beside you through it all._

_-Penny_

Along with the message, Penny included her cell phone number on the paper.

Sheldon smiled before closing his eyes, now knowing he wouldn't feel alone anymore now that Penny was there for him.

**A/N:**

**I hope I didn't confuse anybody. It's been challenging getting a point across for me. **

**To all my new readers, thank you for clicking on this story. It means a lot.**

**We have a long way ahead for Shenny to be together at the end.**


	7. Lost

**A/N:**

**I'm going to treat you guys with two chapters today because I feel this chapter isn't written to the best of my ability.  
**

_"The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself"_

_-Thales_

* * *

**A week later...**

Sheldon surfed through the channels, hoping to find a good movie or show. Leonard had gone off to work, and Amy was still not answering his calls.

No new memories had resurfaced, but he wasn't even trying to remember them.

He rediscovered his passion for science, mainly physics. Sheldon began reading the many books they owned about physics, and was drawn to every word he came across. He pulled up his papers containing information about theories he had come up with, and knew he was a brilliant man. There was an unfinished document saved on his computer, and so he started to see where he left off.

And then a memory appeared inside his mind.

_Sheldon typed on his keyboard just as Amy gathered her belongings and was ready to leave. Amy cleared her throat loud enough to make Sheldon stop his actions and caused him turn around at her._

_"Sheldon, can you walk me downstairs to my vehicle?" Amy asked sweetly._

_"But I'm currently finishing up my paper that I have been working on for weeks." Sheldon responded._

_Amy walked over next to her boyfriend and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Sheldon, it's not very gentleman like to let his woman stroll outside at night by herself where there are possibly marauders lurking around at every corner."_

_He sighed in exasperation. "Fine. Let me get my windbreaker and we'll head out."_

Sheldon knew that scene occurred before he was attack. It was ironic how Amy was afraid of encountering someone when it was Sheldon who actually did.

And look where that got him.

His train of thought derailed when the phone next to him began to ring. Sheldon picked it up and read the caller I.D. He answered it, and waited for a response. "Sheldon?"

"Amy, you haven't spoken to me for that much. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, there's no need to worry." Amy said.

"Good."

They didn't speak a word for a moment before Amy sighed. "Sheldon? I apologize for not being there for you as promised. It's just that I'm not dealing with the memory loss that well."

"I see."

"The reason why is because we've been through so much Sheldon. I've been patient with you for the past four years, and it was only two months back when you first initiated a kiss with me. In the hospital, you seem to be adverse to physical contact again and I'm upset because it was a long way to get you to kiss me. Now, it's all gone. All the progress we had are probably gone." Amy explained, sobbing through the last few words.

Sheldon didn't like it when anyone was upset. "I understand, Amy-"

"No you don't," she interjected. "You don't remember how we met or any other memories we made and shared. I'm afraid that you'll never get them back and the past four years is now wasted. I waited long enough for you to grow and love me as much as I do. It seems unlikely that you'll remember all those things and you'll lose feelings for me."

"Y-you love me?" He stuttered.

"Damn it, I do. Yes, Sheldon, for a while now. You make me feel love and complete. You are my first boyfriend and it was always about us against them."

"Amy, please understand that the doctor did say that it may take a while to regain all my memories. What if you tell me, and see if they'll come back?"

Amy stopped her sniffling. "I'm scared of the likelihood that it won't"

Sheldon had no idea what to say. "Oh, but still, why not see if I'll remember?"

"Okay." She breathed out. "I'll stop by in a few minutes."

After their conversation, Sheldon hung up and paced around the apartment. He didn't mention to her how he was upset about her avoiding him. When Amy revealed that she loved him, Sheldon felt something different. He wasn't too happy about hearing that and wondered why. To summarize what Amy had said, Sheldon learned that they have been together for a while, but he never touched her in an intimate way. It took him three years to kiss her, and she was afraid of losing their progress in their relationship.

Truth be told, Sheldon didn't want to kiss her. Not even touch her.

A part of him wanted to take a break with Amy until he sets his priorities straight.

Sheldon had to look his friends at a different way now after learning about their betrayal. He also had to figure out what he's going to do if he doesn't remember everything, and if that happens, he wondered if Amy still wants to be with him.

He knew he would be a different man without the memories that made him who he was.

* * *

"Feeling better?" He handed her a box of tissues, and Amy gratefully accepted one to wipe her salty tears away that streamed down her cheeks.

She disposed of the tissues and calmed herself. "Not entirely. He wants to see if he can remember any of them."

"How?"

"Go there and tell him." Amy picked up her purse and coat, then stood up and headed to the door.

She felt a hand grip her shoulder and turn her body around. "Remember Amy, if things don't work out, I'll be here for you."

"But, I love him. And without his memory, it would be like losing the Sheldon I love." She tried her hardest not to cry again.

"I'm here for you Amy. He's not like regular boyfriends. You told me about how he doesn't touch you or express his true emotions."

Amy nodded. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "I'll be able to take care of those needs for you."

"That's not fair. I can't just drop all the feeling I have for him if he doesn't remember a single thing. I'll always love him; he's the one that brought me out of my shell."

"First boyfriends aren't always going to be your last, Amy."

"I don't want to believe that."

"Believe it or not, it's your choice." He let go of her, but not before kissing the top of her head. "I do have feelings for you, and I hope someday, you'll realize that he may not be the one. Whatever you decide, you have my number if anything."

Amy smiled and reached out for the doorknob, twisting it slowly as she looked at her closest friend at the moment. "Thank you, Bert. For everything."

Bert grinned and watched as Amy exited the apartment.

* * *

"Do you want something to drink?" Sheldon asked Amy from the kitchen as he pulled out two glasses from the cupboards.

Amy shook her head as she laid her hands on her lap. "No, thank you."

"It's the non-optional social convention, Amy, to offer one's guest a drink."

She shot her head up. "You remember that, huh?"

"Yes, just now when I saw my tea bags over there in the counter."

"Um, thank you again, but I'm fine. It's not necessary."

Sheldon sighed, and poured the pitcher of ice tea in his hand into his glass before making his way back to his spot next to Amy. "How do you want to proceed?"

Amy turned ninety degrees to face Sheldon. "You told me that you regain your memories by doing tasks that remind you of that or by someone just mentioning it to you, is that right?"

"Yes. Although, it doesn't always work."

Amy sighed. "Let's begin. I will say a memory that we have shared and you tell me if you remember anything about it. Please be honest with me because I'm already upset as it is." Sheldon nodded. "Okay. We first met each other back in 2010. Your friends Howard and Rajesh put up a fake dating profile with your picture and information. They pretended to be you until I asked for us to meet in person. Those two hooligans blackmailed you with a dirty sock until you agreed to see me. Anything coming up?"

Sheldon thought hard, but his mind was not regaining that memory he met Amy on that day. With every passing second of silence, Amy was becoming more worried than before. Even without him answering the question, she knew he did not.

"We'll come back to that. How about our first kiss? It's almost a year after that. You swung by my apartment after Priya, Leonard's girlfriend at the time, forced you to eat lamb kebab. Before you arrived, I had just come home from a congratulatory party and consumed alcohol. With my inhibitions lowered, I kissed you right there on my couch, and you even said 'fascinating.' I was even more surprised when you didn't yelp and leave right away. You were kind enough to stay with me until I passed out from vomiting on and off."

He remembered the part about the lamb kebab.

_"This is Greek food? Leonard, you hate Greek food."_

_Leonard smirked. "Not as much as you."_

Aside from Sheldon's hatred for Greek food, nothing else new came up.

The blank stare on Sheldon's face told Amy what she was hoping not to hear. Amy wanted to give him more time to remember it. Hell, it only had been close to two weeks since he lost his memory. She had invested so much of her time into their relationship that losing what they had would be a waste. Another thing was Bert. Lately, she had thought of giving him a chance. He promised to love and take care of her like normal boyfriends do. He'll be able give her the physical intimacy that she has always craved from Sheldon.

But Amy loves Sheldon, and the dissolution to their relationship would hurt her deeply.

"Moving on. Please, tell me you remember the Relationship Agreement."

"The what?"

"The Relationship Agreement is the thirty-one paged contract that you drew up after we become boyfriend and girlfriend. It covers pretty much anything from date nights, hand-holding, and boo-boos and ouchies. At first, it seemed romantic, and then I just thought it was stupid to have an accord govern our relationship. I always felt that the agreement was written to work in your favor." Amy added. "Though it annoyed me during certain times, I believed it was the foundation of our successful relationship, lasting almost four years now. We do not fight, we only have a few disagreements but we were able to overcome them."

He could lie. Sheldon could lie about knowing the agreement, despite having little idea about it. If he says yes, Amy won't be upset anymore and they will resume their relationship from where they left off, which to Sheldon had no clue to where. If he says no... Sheldon didn't even know what events may occur if he did.

Sheldon was stuck between lying and telling the truth. His brain was going back and forth, but he froze when he felt Amy's lips on his.

He didn't close his eyes. He didn't tilt his head to accommodate both of their lips. He didn't try to kiss back. It was only Amy kissing him and him not responding. Sheldon pushed her away and rose from his seat, shuffling backwards away from her. They stared at each other, waiting for one of them to say something. Amy stood up slowly, her hands across her chest with a downhearted face.

"I-I..." Amy stammered. "I am really sorry, Sheldon. I should have known better."

"No one got hurt, we are fine." Sheldon said calmly, glancing down on the floor to avoid eye contact.

"It's not, Sheldon. I am so sorry. I know you don't want to be touched, and I just wanted to see your reaction to my kiss."

"I see."

"Look, I want to give you more time, but it seems like it'll never come back. I am an expert at brains, and there was one case I was studying that it took almost two years! We've spent so much time and effort in our relationship what I will be devastated if it's all gone."

"Amy, you promised me that you will be there for me." Sheldon reminded her.

She sank down back to her seat. "I did. Sheldon, you initiated a kiss for the first time two months ago. It took you that long to get comfortable enough for you to touch me. I'm wondering if we'll ever be intimate. Losing our progress, I may have to wait years till we do consummate our relationship."

Sheldon shrugged his shoulders, and then shifted near her. He bent down and laid his lips on Amy's, to which she pulled back immediately. "Don't kiss me to try to make me feel better." She said, noting how stiff his body was and the lack of passion in his kiss.

He backed away, and let Amy stand up once more. She picked up her coat and purse. "Please don't contact me. I need some time to think." Without another word, Amy walked out and shut the door behind her.

Sheldon was a loss for words. He wasn't sure what to do. He lost one of the two people he could trust at that time.

Sighing, he pulled out his phone and started to type out a message.

_Penny, it's Sheldon. Are you available to talk?_

He hesitated to press send, but did it anyway knowing that somehow she'll be able to make him feel better.

**A/N:**

**Up next: Shenny meeting once again.**


	8. Getting to Know You

_"The most exciting attractions are between two opposites that never meet."_**_  
_**

_ -Andy Warhol_

* * *

"That was amazing, Penny. See you back here tomorrow."

The director waved goodbye to Penny before she left the set and entered her dressing room. She stripped off the black pencil skirt and blazer that the character she played wore and used the shower. Her first day filming was an unbelievable experience. She met all the cast and became friends with some of them.

The producers complimented her portrayal of Elizabeth Deane, and they believed her story the moment she told them. Her acting was so spot on, that most of them asked if she had done any roles before. She loved the faces the made when she told them no. Hearing all the wonderful things said about her acting, Penny wondered why the other roles she auditioned for back at home weren't given to her.

_It's their loss, she thought_. She would rather do a one-episode gig than a crappy commercial that probably wouldn't air.

After slipping into her t-shirt and jeans and blow dried her hair, Penny grabbed her purse resting on the couch before pulling out her phone and realizing she has an unread text message from two hours ago.

Penny beamed as she read the message from Sheldon, and quickly typed out a reply.

_Sure :) I finished filming for today, so how bout a cup of coffee? I know a great place._

She exited out to the parking lot and got in her car. The phone vibrated once and Penny viewed Sheldon's response.

_That sounds acceptable. Where is this coffee place that you know?_

_It's right next to the intersection of Spring and Vermont Ave, _Penny texted back.

The car's engine ignited and she merged into Main Street when Sheldon sent another reply. As soon as she reached a red light, Penny quickly glanced down on her phone.

_I do have one problem however. Leonard is using the car and I seem to not have a license with me at this time. _

Her fingers started to speedily type another message. _If you want, I can pick you up from your place._

The red light turned green and she proceeded to drive down Main Street. Her cell phone buzzed once more and Penny pulled the car to the side before reading Sheldon's reply. _Only if you don't mind. I live at 2311 N. Los Robles Avenue. Please message me once you have arrive and I'll head outside when you do._

After putting in Sheldon's address into her GPS, Penny began to make her way to his apartment, anticipating their first outing.

* * *

Sheldon heard the front door open and close, presuming that Leonard had returned from work. He emerged from his bedroom and stepped into their living room, where he saw his roommate's body sprawled across the leather couch. Sauntering closer to Leonard, he poked his back, causing him to roll over and meet Sheldon's gaze.

"May I help you?" Leonard asked tiredly.

"Nothing. I just wanted to alert you that I will be spending the rest of the evening outside of our apartment." Sheldon casually answered before turning around and walking to his desk chair, picking up his blue windbreaker.

Leonard sat up from his position. "You're going out?"

"That is what I said"

"With who?"

Sheldon wasn't sure whether or not to mention Penny. He thought that if he did, Leonard would intervene with their conversations once more. "Amy," he lied.

"Oh, you guys made up?"

He heaved out a long sigh. "You little sir do ask a lot of questions." Sheldon's phone vibrated and he read the preview of the message sent by Penny, saying that she is parked outside in the front of the apartment. "My ride is here, I will call you if anything."

Leonard reached the door before Sheldon could exit. "Why are you acting strange and secretive?"

"What did I do that makes me seem such?"

The smaller physicist shook his head. "Never mind. Go ahead."

Sheldon nodded and left the apartment without another word. As he descended the stairs, he wondered to himself how and when the apartment elevator broke down. He was not a fan of walking up and down four flights of stairs when there could be an elevator functioning properly. Perhaps Sheldon could ask the building manager to have it repaired and ready to use.

He reached the lobby and walked out of the apartment complex. A few feet away was Penny waiting inside her car browsing on her phone. He approached her vehicle and lightly knocked on the glass. Penny looked up and mouthed a 'hello' before letting Sheldon inside.

"Thank you for giving me a ride." Sheldon said as he climbed in.

Penny smiled. "No problem. You'll like this place we're going to. They have some pretty tasty stuff and their latte is to die for."

"I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Let's go."

* * *

"How about one more sip?" Penny suggested. "Maybe because your taste buds aren't used to it yet?"

Sheldon pushed the cup away from him as Penny gave a slight chuckle. "It tastes yucky."

"Try the blueberry scone. I think you'll find it more delicious than the coffee." Penny hands him the plate with the scone she purchased for him. Sheldon stared at it before graciously accepting the pastry. With one big bite out of the scone, Sheldon relished its taste. He forgot what a scone tasted like and he was sure to savor the one he was eating at that moment.

Penny took another sip of her latte as Sheldon finished the pastry in a few more bites. "Pretty good, huh?"

"Better than I imagined. Thank you, Penny." Sheldon said sweetly, wiping his hands to remove the crumbs stuck to them.

"So, where are you from? Are you from Texas?" Penny asked.

Sheldon nodded. "Yes, Galveston."

"Oh cool. I got it from that accent of yours. It's a pretty neat accent you got there."

"Thank you. How about you?"

"Nebraska. Omaha, to be more specific. Moved down here three weeks ago, actually the day I found you," Penny answered.

"When you texted me that you were finished filming, what did you mean by that?"

"I'm an actress," she said proudly. "But as you saw a couple days ago, I also play the role of a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory all week except Wednesdays and Fridays, which explains why I'm here and not there."

"That's very interesting. I've never met an actress before."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a theoretical physicist," Sheldon responded.

"That's sounds cool, what is that?"

"I come up with mathematical explanations for natural events."

Penny drank the last drop of her latte before speaking. "So you're one of those beautiful mind, genius guys?"

Sheldon blushed. "Yeah."

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Penny cleared her throat. "Your friend Leonard? What's up with him?"

Sheldon shrugged his shoulders. "Well, he's my roommate and supposedly my best friend. If you're asking about what's up with him and you, I would say that Leonard is interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with you. It baffles me because of how little he knows about you yet he's convinced that you and he would be a perfect match."

"Sounds like my past boyfriends. Only asked me out for my body and not to get to know me." She dropped her head, before picking it up. "Besides, I have a boyfriend. We've been together for a long time. Longer than high school."

"Well, he must be a good partner to you."

Penny sighed. "It's been complicated. I mean he is a good boyfriend, but we barely see each another anymore because he cares so much about his work. His family hates me because of my acting career. I love him, but I'm not sure if that love is enough that I could spend the rest of my life with him. I like doing things independently, and I started working right away after moving to save up for a car. When he bought me one the next day, I was happy but disappointed. I could have worked for it."

"Are you questioning your relationship with him at this time?"

Penny nodded shamefully. "Crazy right?"

"Falling in love and having a relationship are two different things." Sheldon said. He didn't come up with it; he got it when he read a book that Raj left in his apartment a few days ago.

Her face lit up to his words. "Never thought of it that way." Penny knew what Sheldon had told her was right. Just because you call it a relationship, it doesn't mean you're in love with that other person in it. After a brief yet awkward pause, Penny spoke. "How about you? How's your love life, cowboy?"

Sheldon became quiet and lowered his glance. Penny knew he was having a rough time. "That bad, huh?"

"I'm not sure if we are no longer together. She stormed out of my apartment almost four hours ago. She kissed me and I didn't respond to her touch."

"Why didn't you?"

"I-I just... I don't see her as a romantic partner at this time. I've been doubting my friendships and Amy hasn't been there for me as she promised. I learned that she loves me, yet I do not see myself sharing that same affection she has for me to her."

"Oh, I see. Sheldon, always know that falling in love and having a relationship are two different things."

Sheldon smiled. "Now where did you get those words?"

"A genius told me."

Sheldon stared at Penny's empty cup of latte, and his memory about coffee came back.

_"Sheldon, just take one sip, We need more hands on deck with this laser and it'll only take two more hours, I swear." Leonard pleaded as Sheldon began to doze off on the couch. _

_"I promised my mother I wouldn't start doing drugs." Sheldon murmured through the pillow._

_Leonard sighed, but presented the cup of coffee to the half-asleep Sheldon. "Please. But, Sheldon, without your insight and leadership this entire enterprise will surely fail."_

_Sheldon lifted his body off the couch before Leonard handed him the coffee. "You're right. Very well, but if this leads to opiates or hallucinogenics, you're going to have to answer to my mother."  
_

When Sheldon snapped out of his head, he sees Penny staring at him. "Sorry, I thought of something. Now I know why I don't drink coffee."

Penny gave him a nod and Sheldon's cast caught her attention. "When are you getting that off?"

"I have a doctor's appointment in two days. Hopefully, by then. It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Alright." Penny looked at the time on her phone. "Do you want to do something?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Uhh, there's a nice mini-golf place I passed by a few blocks back. You want to go?"

Sheldon thought for a moment. His phone buzzed and he read a text message from Leonard.

_Where are you?_

He didn't bother replying to Leonard's question. He was enjoying the day too much.

* * *

Leonard stomped around the apartment as Howard and Raj eyed him from the couch. They watch as Leonard attempts to call Sheldon on his phone, but whines when he reaches his voice mail. "Leonard, just leave him alone. I'm sure he's fine. Now can we please go back to playing Mystic Warlords of Ka'a?" Raj tells him.

"You're right." Leonard places his phone down on his desk and makes his way to the armchair beside the couch. "Why am I fixating on this? I shouldn't be this worried about him."

Raj handed him his playing cards. "Sheldon's a grown man. I'm sure he's not going to be in any type of trouble."

"It's not that. It's just- well, before we left the Cheesecake Factory last week, he was with Penny. They were talking but I don't know what about. He looks like he was trying to flirt with her because he had that face on him." Leonard mused.

Howard looked to him. "Are you saying that you're jealous because Sheldon might get Penny and not you?"

"Nooo..."

"Sounds like it, dude." Raj said. "Can we start already?"

Leonard rolled his eyes. "Fine." He drew a card out of his hand and laid it on the coffee table. "Focused Locust."

Raj places his card on top of Leonard's. "Chaos Overlord."

"Colossal Serpent," Howard announced.

The two stared at Leonard, who was clearly unfocused. "What if they're meeting each other right now?"

Raj snorts derisively. "Seriously? First of all, Sheldon is his own person and if he wants to meet with this woman, he can and it's none of your business. Secondly, you're currently coming off as a pathetic jealous douche so back off. Third, I think he should at least have one good friend in his life like Penny."

Howard and Leonard gaped at Raj, before Leonard filled the tense air with his voice. "What do you mean he should have a good friend? What about us?"

"We're not good friends to him." Raj says. "Yes we may know his likes and dislikes, but we never treated him right."

"Where is this all coming from, buddy?" Howard asked.

"Let's just say that when you called me about what happened to Sheldon, I began to see things in a different way."

Leonard nodded. "Okay, but we are good friends with him."

"We aren't good friends _to_ him, Leonard." Raj slammed his playing cards on the coffee table before standing up and headed towards the door. "I gotta run. Enjoy the rest of the game."

He exits out of the apartment, leaving Howard and Leonard to their own thoughts. They shared empty looks to each other, wondering if Raj was right. Inside Howard's head, at first he thought Raj lost his mind. They stuck around him for the past ten years, dealing with all his idiosyncrasies, as well as his finicky and pedantic personality. What Sheldon should do is thank the three of them for staying after all the crap they had to deal with him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that they were wrong. _He_ was wrong.

Howard comprehended that what they did to Sheldon made them as awful as the bullies that tormented them throughout the years. He glances over to Leonard, who was also in deep thought and was curious about what was in his head. Out of the three of them, Leonard had betrayed Sheldon the most. Leonard was often the one who comes up with the schemes, and they followed right behind him.

In actuality, Leonard was still asking himself where and with who was Sheldon with.

Leonard was unwilling to accept the fact that Sheldon may be with Penny for the evening.

And as much as he hated to admit it, he was jealous.

* * *

Penny and Sheldon arrived at Blackbeard's Cove an hour before closing time. It was 18-holes of mini golf that they both took their time in. Before they started to play, the two waged a challenge. The person with the lowest score at the end of the game has to buy the winner a small ice cream cone from the snack place in the establishment.

At the first hole, Penny bluffed that she could get a hole in one with her eyes closed, to which Sheldon responded was impossible even though the ball would only have to roll in a straight line. Penny held her left hand up to her eyes as Sheldon watched from behind. She gripped on the pink club she picked out earlier with her right before putting herself in the best position. She vowed to prove Sheldon wrong, and with one gracious swing of the club, she left him to stare in shock and without words.

"You peeked," Sheldon accused her before she burst into a fit of laughter.

"No, I didn't," Penny denied as Sheldon placed his golf ball down on the ground.

It was more difficult for Sheldon to putt because of his hand in the cast, and Penny thought he would have trouble with it. Handling the club the best he could, Sheldon said to himself what the most ideal force he should exert to get a hole-in-one. He calculated the distance the ball had to roll and took in consideration the wind velocity at the moment. He mumbled words under his breath before moving the golf club in his hand back, and swung it forward, making contact with the ball.

The two watch as the ball roll straight into the hole, with Sheldon giving a smug look to Penny.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, Cooper." Penny teased before they moved on the next hole.

After hole 17, Penny and Sheldon were neck-in-neck. Sheldon was a few points behind from Penny, who was dominating the game. They reached the final hole of the game, which seemed to be the most challenging hole they have encountered. Penny was a little intimidated, but did not doubt for a second about how Sheldon could beat her in the game. By the looks of it, she could probably get a double bogey at least.

As Penny dropped her golf ball down, a hand on her shoulder stopped her. "It looks difficult, huh?"

"This is nothing new. I can do this." Penny said, showing confidence.

"We can dissolve our wager in the beginning, Penny." Sheldon suggested. "I can teach you my ways into getting a hole-in-one."

"Thank you, but I don't need it."

"Very well." Sheldon took a seat on the bench as Penny gripped on her golf club.

He was about to look at their scores before Penny called for him. "Wait."

Sheldon glanced up. "I suppose we can stop this wager between us and call it even. We are pretty good at this game right?"

"Yes, we certainly are."

"I guess it can't hurt me to learn some new tricks."

He grinned and rose from his seat. Sheldon gave Penny some tricks and advices, also showing her how to figure out how strong she should hit the ball. Penny listened to his explanation, being drawn to his slight Texan accent.

When Sheldon ended, she relaxed her touch on the club, and did what she was told.

She was more than proud when she was able to hit the ball into the hole in only three strokes.

"Good work, Penny. I think we should treat ourselves with ice cream," Sheldon proposed with a smile.

Penny gave him a quick nod and followed Sheldon to the exit.

* * *

Sheldon learned a lot about Penny during the evening they shared.

Penny told him her aspirations to become a successful actress and she was currently on her way there. Sheldon said that she was inspiring because she was following her dreams and taking risks. When it came to him to reveal things about himself, Sheldon told her the memories he remembered while growing up.

He told her about his twin sister Missy and his older brother George. He told her about his religious mother and his late alcoholic father. He told her about how some of the neighborhood kids used to beat him up because they were intimidated by his intelligence. Sheldon shared several stories about his Meemaw and Pop-Pop, and how much they supported his career in science.

Sheldon knew more of Penny than his other friends, and it didn't bother him that he did.

"Here we are." Penny announced as she pulled up next to the sidewalk in front of Sheldon's apartment. "I like hanging out with you. You remind me of all the fun I had back in Nebraska before things got complicated. Thank you, for that."

"Thank you for making my day better, Penny." Sheldon said as he unbuckled his seat belt.

He was about to open the car door when Penny stopped him by grabbing his hand. "Can I tell you something?"

Sheldon nodded.

"The reason why I gave you my number because I feel bad for you. One moment you were this successful physicist with everything planned out in life and then it all comes crashing down when you lost your memory. The memories you told me about your supposed friends made me think you were alone. Growing up, I didn't have that many real friends. They all did wrong things to me and I wondered why never stopped talking to them. I can relate to your situation with not having anyone to trust. I gave you my number so you wouldn't feel alone and think no one is here for you. Sheldon, I am and will be here for you. I've only known you for a short time but I know we'll be good friends. I'm comfortable sharing things with you and it seems like you do, too. If anything happens, call me up and I'll help you. Got that?"

Sheldon smiled for the millionth time that day. "Thank you, Penny. Things have been complicated for the past two weeks and this evening made me feel better about everything. You are the only one I can trust at this time, and I appreciate you being here."

"No problem. And also know if the guys ever pull some crap on you, tell me and I will be more than happy to tie them up and castrate them." Penny said with a wink.

"Duly noted."

Sheldon reached for the car door handle once more and climbed out of the vehicle. He gave Penny one little wave before she drove off. He entered the apartment building and walked up the stairs, stopping on the fourth floor landing. Fishing out the keys inside his pocket, he inserted them into the key hole and turned them to unlock the door to Apartment 4A.

Stepping inside his home, Sheldon placed his keys on the bowl next to the door and headed towards his spot on the couch. He plopped down on the couch, closing his eyes and going over the events that occurred that day. The corners of his lips fluttered when he thought of how Penny made him feel. He was grateful of meeting her, even under those circumstances. Some much had transpired ever since he lost his memory.

He had to reconsider the relationship he had with the boys. Amy seemed to end their relationship earlier, and though it upset him, he knew that it was for the best.

The greatest thing was meeting Penny. Even though she was much less smarter than him, she was helpful in dealing with his emotions.

Sheldon was about to doze off on the couch when he heard footsteps coming from the hallway leading to the bedrooms. He slowly lifted his eyelids and saw a middle-aged woman with brown hair falling on her shoulders. It was her similar blue eyes that made Sheldon realize who she was.

"Mommy?"

**Proofread this a lot of times, but some mistakes may have gone unnoticed.  
**

***Sheldon's quote, _Falling in love and having a relationship are two different things, _is by Keanu Reeves*  
**

**Reviews are what keep me going and I can't thank you enough for that.**


	9. Mother and son

_"Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them." _

_-Albert Einstein_

* * *

"Mommy?"

Sheldon watched as his mother approached him and sat down next to his spot. "Why didn't you tell me about what happened to you? I was worried sick on that plane on my way here after one of your friends called."

He had to explain to her his situation, including his memory loss, and how he was recovering. As Sheldon talked to his mother, who flew all the way from Galveston, Sheldon suspected it was Leonard who had informed her about his condition. Back at the hospital, he wondered why none of his family came or contacted him. He thought he wasn't close with any of his relatives or he was the only one remaining in the Cooper family. It wasn't until two days ago when the memory of Sheldon being hospitalized due to a bad case of the flu a few years back came to him.

His mother and sister had scheduled a flight to California on December 2006. Though he was scrupulous about his hygiene, he managed to catch the flu from either one of them. When his temperature skyrocketed and he needed to be admitted into a hospital, Sheldon insisted that he stayed at home and wait for imminent death rather that sleep in an infirmary. He even tried to deceive them by placing his thermometer inside the freezer, and ultimately failed.

The hospital wasn't the worst part. Sheldon's family practically smothered him. His mother would often pray out loud in the middle of the room as he tried to sleep. His sister constantly touched the food on his plate as she assisted with feeding him, and as a result, he dropped a couple of pounds during his five-day stay.

After their visit, he ordered Leonard and the others to never contact his family when he falls ill, not wanting the constant attention from them. Sheldon insisted his family so many times that he was old enough to take care of himself, but believed that he wasn't capable of doing so. He threatened his friends with banishment from the apartment for a week if they did call them.

Now here he was with his mother, who was deeply upset about how she was never informed about what had happened to her son. "I've always told you to be careful out here, Shelly. California is full of muggers and rapists, and I mentioned that to you before you decided to pack up and move on out of Texas."

"Mother, I am aware about the dangers in the cities. It happened late at night and I was alone. I can assure you that I will not be doing that again." Sheldon said, placing his hands on his lap as his mother eyed him intensely.

"You are avoiding the question here, Shelly. Why did no one tell me? I had to hear it from that roommate of yours."

_So, it was Leonard_, Sheldon thought. "I'm sorry, mom. Things happened and I did not have the time to call you."

His mother's voice softened. "What things?"

Sheldon looked around the room in search of Leonard, and Mary knew what he was doing. "It's okay, son. He went out for a bit and he'll be home in an hour or so."

He sighed. "I was recently told about the treacherous acts that Leonard, Howard, and Rajesh committed since I met them."

"Oh, Shelly. I know some of the things they did. You ran home to Texas after they tampered with your experiment. It was an hour's worth of praying to God and for you, a good talking from Meemaw to convince you to go back to California."

"Yeah. But they did more things."

Mary knew that the bullies were never going to stop coming after him, and was disappointed to know that the biggest bullies of them all were the ones he trusted. She put a hand behind Sheldon's back and patted it gently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sheldon shook his head. "It's too much."

"Sweetheart, your Meemaw shares some of the things you write to her. She mostly tells me about how upset you are because some of the things they did to you. At first, I wanted to come here and set them straight. We Coopers don't mess around with chumps like them. Then I realized, you are a grown man. For Pete's sake, you're turning 34 soon! My baby's growing older by the second. Anyways, I thought you can handle it on your own. Why you let them stick around and act the same way bothers me as much as it bothers you."

His mother cupped his face and moved it to meet his eyes, which were watery and tears were about to fall. "Sheldon, it always upset me when you came home crying because of the neighbor kids. When you left home to go to Germany to be a visiting professor, I thought that it would end from there. But it didn't. When you told me about your friends here, it was like you were finally happy with people being in your life. Then you write the crap they do to you, and it was déjà vu. In life, Shelly, we meet people who don't seem to be who they actually are. Some people think that the truth can be hidden with a little cover-up and decoration. But as time goes by, what is true is revealed, and what is fake fades away." Mary ended with a soothing tone.

Sheldon gave her a slight nod, brushing the tears away. "I don't want to feel betrayed again."

"Then don't." Mary simply said before giving her son a smile. "Why don't you fix yourself up and I'll cook you a late dinner."

"Spaghetti with little pieces of hot dog cut up in it?" Sheldon asked with an innocent face, making Mary remember the tender moments of a younger Sheldon.

"Of course. I know how to make my baby feel better again."

* * *

Penny stumbled into her apartment, kicking her shoes off her feet and headed to the bathroom.

She stripped off her clothes and prepared herself a nice hot bath. Overall, the day had been perfect. Her first day of filming was a success and she wished for Monday to come sooner. The perfect end to the day was spending it with Sheldon.

He was a fun person to be around and she loved hanging out with him. Penny never knew that she would have some similarities with a theoretical physicist. They both enjoyed paint ball and video games. No one else knew this, but Penny was a huge fan of the Harry Potter series. In addition, she was a whovian, much to Sheldon's surprise.

Penny had DVDS of the last several seasons of Dr. Who somewhere in her entertainment center and loves watching an episode or two as she eats her meal. Lately, she hasn't been doing so since Tyler wasn't much of a whovian or a fan of any of her other favorite shows. During his absence, she was able to catch up with the previous season she had missed.

After her bath, Penny dried herself off with a towel and then changed into a tank top and shorts. It was nine o'clock and she wanted to run over her lines for the next day of taping. An hour later, Penny slept soundly in bed, dreaming of an extravagant life as a famous celebrity being invited to parties and winning awards.

Unfortunately, her sleep was cut short when a sound coming from outside her bedroom awoken her. She stayed lying on the bed as she watched the light in the living room turn on and the sound of heavy footsteps were heard with each creak of the floorboards. Penny reached down under her bed and was able to get a hand of her aluminum baseball bat.

Walking cautiously to the bedroom door and with the bat ready to swing, Penny took a peek from behind the door. She saw someone rummaging into their refrigerator and gripped the bat tightly when the figure stopped as if he had heard someone.

She released the long breath she was holding when the person moved and Penny recognized who it was inside her apartment.

Penny dropped her bat down on the floor and entered the living room. "Tyler?"

Tyler turned around with a mouthful of food as he placed the sandwich he was eating back on the plate. "Penn. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Why didn't you call to tell me you're on your way home?" Penny asked.

Tyler sighed, and motioned Penny to sit down on the couch. She nodded and sat in the middle of the couch, with Tyler sitting beside her. "It happened too fast. I was at home helping my niece with her homework when Lisa called me from the hospital."

Her eyes followed Tyler's hands as he reached for hers to hold. "My dad died yesterday."

Penny's heart broke, and was unable to speak.

"You don't have to say anything, but I have to. Penny, you know how much I am committed to my family. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be the man with you right now. Pops asked me to run the company for him before he passed away. I couldn't say no. Not only was it something I strived for years now, it's also something to make my family proud."

Penny opened her mouth, but was interrupted when Tyler spoke again. "The thing is, I would have to be in Nebraska."

"C-Can't you run the company from one of the offices here?"

He shook his head no. "The office back in Nebraska is like the control tower. I have to be there and not here in order to make it work."

"Wow. I-I," she stammered.

"Which brings me to our next topic. Us."

Penny stood up and crossed her arms. "What do you want to talk about?"

Tyler cleared his throat. "Answer honestly. Do you see us together in the future? Married and have kids of our own?"

This was the talk she had been dreading for. She wasn't sure how he was going to take it. At this point, she was sure that one of them would walk out of the apartment single. Penny's thoughts that she had made about her relationship with Tyler was laid out for her in her head. She could come clean about how she felt, or lie and spend the rest of her life probably unhappy.

"No," Penny whispered, barely audible but he was able to pick it up.

"Why didn't you say things sooner?"

Penny sat back down and held his arm. "Because of all the things you have done. You dropped everything back in Nebraska to move here with me. You bought me a freaking car. There are more things to that, but those two were the biggest ones. I am grateful for what you have done, but I wondered if you are the right one for me. You can buy me all these things but it doesn't change how I really feel." She scanned his face for an expression, but it was blank.

"Tyler, you're a great guy. You make me happy, but recently we drifted apart because of your work. I'm not going to accuse your work but I am going to say it has something to do with it. What we had when we were younger, it's gone. I don't feel it anymore. The sex might be great but it's not the fiery passionate one we used to have years ago."

"I never knew that you would feel this way."

"I'm sorry."

Tyler looked up to her. "But you're right. We had drifted apart. We rarely see each other. Maybe this is our stopping point. We had one hell of a roller coaster ride and now we reached the end to it. Listen, I'm upset that you never told me any of this. I love you, and I know you don't. I'm not mad at that, too. It's good that you told me now instead of having to feel something that isn't really there."

"So this is it, huh?"

"Ten years of laughter, fighting, and memories."

"We're better off as friends."

Tyler nodded. "It's the best idea for the two of us."

"What do I do with the car?"

Tyler smiled. "Keep it."

"The apartment?"

"I'll pay the rent for the rest of the month until you have enough money to pay it for your own or find a cheaper place. If you don't, I'll be okay with paying it for-"

Penny interrupted him. "No. I want to do this by my own."

"You are always an independent woman. Okay, we'll stay in touch, that's the only thing I want. Yes, we are breaking up but I'm not throwing away a friendship with you."

"I was about to say that, too." Penny chuckled and wrapped her arms around Tyler. "I'm going to miss you, though. Pasadena won't be the same. Omaha's getting one of its little cornhuskers back."

Tyler kissed her forehead. "It surely will."

They stayed holding each other for a minute, before proceeding with discussions about Tyler's move. He was planning on only taking his clothes and leaving Penny with all the furniture. His flight out to California was tomorrow morning, and they shared their last night together in bed.

Penny was surprised. There were no tears shed, except for the bittersweet ones that poured out as they said goodbye. She would miss his witty and encouraging self. They had to move on, and this was it. He was following his dreams and she was following hers.

She wondered what if things were different. She imagined what if Tyler's father hadn't gotten sick and died. How would she have confronted Tyler with her feelings?

One more wave goodbye from the car, Penny smiled at the man who made her realize who she really was and taught her things she never knew. Most break ups for Penny were harsh and involved screaming and shouting. This one was mutual and out of respect. They weren't mad at each other, and both were content with it.

Instead of being heartbroken, Penny was uplifted. She's only been in California for two weeks, and more things were bound to happen in the golden state.

And Penny was sure as hell about it.

**A/N:**

**Penny's single. Sheldon's single.**

**But they both seem to have no romantic interests yet, or do they? **

***Mary's quote, _Some people think that the truth can be hidden with a little cover-up and decoration. But as time goes by, what is true is revealed, and what is fake fades away, _is by Ismail Haniyeh***

**I'll most likely update on Saturday :)**


	10. My hero

_"A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world."_

_-Leo Buscaglia_

* * *

Sheldon woke up to the aroma buttermilk pancakes and crispy bacon in the air. The one thing he loved about his mother visiting is all the delicious meals she would cook for him. He quickly got out of the covers and slipped on his plaid robe before exciting out of his bedroom. Once he reached the kitchen, he saw his mother turn around, grinning from ear to ear.

"Good morning, Sheldon. Trusted that you slept well last night?" Mary said, placing the fried bacon on a platter for her son as well as two pancakes.

"I did, mother, especially after the dinner you made for me." Sheldon accepted the plate and went to go sit on one of the stools. "Has Leonard left already?"

Mary nodded. "A little over an hour ago, dear."

"You know, you could stay at a hotel instead of sleeping on the couch."

"I am planning on checking into one later on. If you think I'm going to spend another night on that couch, I may have to get you retested."

Sheldon smiled and poured maple syrup all over his pancakes. Taking a bite, he savored its taste. "Mother, I must compliment you on your cooking skills. These pancakes are delectable."

"Thank you, Sheldon," Mary said as she drank her coffee.

There was a knock on the door, and Sheldon excused himself for a moment to answer it. Once the door opened, he mouthed Penny hello before allowing her to enter the apartment. Penny could smell the mouth-watering breakfast, and she wondered if that was all of Sheldon's cooking.

"It smells like an IHOP in here!" Penny's eyes were fixed on the stack of warm pancakes on the kitchen counter as well as a woman with her back against her and Sheldon. Penny whispered, "Who is she?"

"She's my mother," Sheldon gestured the blonde to follow him as they both approached Mary who was just turning the stove off. "Mom, this is Penny."

Mary turned around and waved at Penny. "Hello, Mary Cooper. You are?"

"Penny. I'm a friend of Sheldon's." Penny offered Mary her hand to shake.

"Hang on, are you that woman who saved my baby's life?"

"That's how I met him."

Mary moved around the kitchen isle to give Penny a big hug. "Thank you, sweetheart! Sheldon and I owe you so much."

"It's nothing. I'm just glad Sheldon's finally healthy."

Sheldon stepped in after an awkward silence. "Um, Penny, why did you drop by?"

"Oh, I was gonna tell you that Tyler and I broke up last night."

He sighed and patted her shoulder gently. "How are you feeling?"

"I miss him, but the split was totally amicable and there were no harsh words exchanged."

Sheldon nodded. "Would you like some tea?"

"That sounds great, but I just had coffee."

"Are you sure?"

Penny smiled. "Yes, Sheldon, I'm sure."

Mary looked at both of them. "Well, honey you are more than welcome to dig in. Shelly, I'm going to take a shower and then we'll be on our way."

"Wait, I can't drive," Sheldon informed his mother.

"Still?" Mary asked.

Sheldon gazed down. "Yes."

"I could drive you guys if you want," Penny suggested. "I have to work the dinner shift at like 7pm, but I'm happy to do it."

"Are you sure, Penny? We don't want to be a hassle."

"It's alright, Mrs. Cooper. No problem at all."

Mary reached over for her hand and gave a soft squeeze. "Thank you, darling."

"You're welcome Mrs. Cooper."

Sheldon's mother started to walk down the hallway, but turned around for a second. "Penny, darling?"

"Yes?"

"Call me, Mary."

* * *

Mary loves prying into her children's life, especially Sheldon's. She was intrigued that her son had made a new friend, and after meeting Penny, she knew he has finally found a friend that he could trust. She watched the two interact all day, and they were very comfortable with each other. Mary was seeing a side of Sheldon that had been locked away for many years. Penny always made Sheldon laugh in some way, and Mary knew what they have is special.

It was almost as if Penny slowly dragged Sheldon out of his world that only included science, and now sees that there is more to life than that.

Penny also reminded Mary of herself growing up and having dreams, and she was confident that the ambitious blonde will be a successful actress one day.

In addition, Mary was fond of Penny, and Sheldon was surprised that the two women had some things in common. They both had an affinity for yoga and tennis matches. They both enjoy watching local productions of plays. There were more things, but Sheldon was disinterested in female jibber jabber, talking about nail polishes and handbags.

What was embarrassing, like to many others, was that his mother began telling Penny stories of Sheldon's life growing up in Texas. She did not leave out any specific moments such as how his sister applied her make up on his face as he slept, causing an irritation and pink eye for almost a week and a half.

His mother also shared the time when Sheldon was about one year old and he removed his diapers and swung it around, the contents spilling out and spreading everywhere, including himself. Penny never laughed so hard, but made it up to Sheldon when she told his mother how kind and caring Sheldon was to her.

Once Mary was settled in her hotel, Sheldon and Penny headed out to the lobby. Penny checked her phone and realized that her shift was starting in ten minutes.

"Sheldon, I can't drop you off and I don't have that much time to get to work. Is it okay if you stay for an hour and I'll drive you home during my break?" Penny asked.

"Okay, but I'll stay with you throughout your entire shift."

"Really? You do know my shift ends when the restaurant closes."

"I do. It doesn't affect my decision however."

Penny smiled. "You're really sweet. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Sheldon nodded and they both made their way to the Cheesecake Factory.

* * *

Sheldon watched from a far as Penny served a family of three with burgers and fries. He noticed some of the men sitting in the booth ogling Penny as she passed by them. They even tried flirting with her, but she quickly dismissed them. When they wouldn't stop, Penny threatened the men to leave her alone or have them thrown out of the restaurant. It didn't do any good since they ended up complaining to the manager about Penny's attitude, and it infuriated Sheldon.

He was mustering enough courage to confront and tell them to leave Penny alone, but was intimidated by their strong and muscular built. Penny had an idea of what he was trying to do. When she handed his strawberry lemonade that he ordered, Penny told Sheldon that everything was fine. He reminded her that he will wait for her until her shift ended and she thought it was very sweet of him.

The customers in the restaurant began to dwindle, and then there were only two tables left for Penny to serve before her closing time. The remaining waiters had already left, and there was only her, Sheldon, and three busboys clearing the tables. The manager had asked for Penny to lock up for him which she had agreed to do.

After the last customer left the establishment, Sheldon approached Penny who was counting her tips over at the computer. "Made $150 in tips," Penny said with a wide smile. "Ready to go home?"

"Yes." Sheldon said with a slight nod.

The two walked through empty parking lot with only street lamps illuminating their path. The manager requested all of the employees to park farther away from the entrance, allowing the paying customers to use the parking spots closer to the doors. Because of that, Penny and Sheldon's walk to the car took awhile.

"How are you?" Penny asked, uncomfortable with the awkward silence.

Sheldon glanced down to the shorter blonde. "I'm good, you?"

"Same. I have filming all day tomorrow again which means I'm not gonna be able to hang out with you." Penny frowned. She looked forward to spending time with Sheldon and getting to know him even better. He offered her a lot of advice in life, and in return, she gave him some. What Penny surprisingly enjoyed doing was learning physics from Sheldon.

He never called her stupid when she fired up tons of questions at him. Penny never finished college, and she doesn't understand half of the things Sheldon taught her. It was unexpected for Penny to get drawn to physics. She wasn't a huge fan of math, but understanding physics can lead to the answers for the unsolved mysteries about life itself.

"There's always the day after that," Sheldon reminded her. He was regaining most of his knowledge in science and he was ready to resume his work at Caltech. Dr. Gablehauser was more than pleased when he was informed that Sheldon would be returning from medical leave. His first day back would be on Monday, and Sheldon was anticipating on standing in front of whiteboards full of equations again.

"But I was looking forward to the movie we planned on watching." Penny pouted.

"We can view it on Sunday evening after my doctor's appointment, if that's fine by you."

She sighed. "Working the lunch and dinner shift again on Sunday."

Sheldon sulked. He hated when Penny worked long hours.

"Why not hang out with Leonard, Howard, and Raj? You know, patch things up?" Penny suggested, earning a glare from Sheldon. "Sorry, you're still not talking to them, huh?"

"I am. But not as frequently with you."

Penny stopped in the middle of the parking lot, almost halfway to her car. "Sheldon, do you ever see yourself forgiving them?"

"I don't see a reason why I should."

"Okay. I know you guys didn't just get into a tiny spat. It was something more and I don't blame you for being mad at them. Here's another life lesson Sheldon, they can do the most horrible things to us, but we have to move on. I'm not saying forgive them and return to the last place where everything worked up. What I want you to hear is that we can't hold grudges. I respect your decision if you wish not to talk to them again, but you can't spend the rest of your life being mad at what they did."

Sheldon placed a hand on her shoulder and gazed down at her as Penny gave him a comforting smile.

The two sharply turned their heads simultaneously when they heard heavy footsteps approaching their direction. Emerging from the shadows was a large brawny man leering at them.

Penny knew they were in trouble.

The stranger started to clench his fists together. "Now, look who we have here in the middle of the night. Are you two lovebirds lost?"

"Lovebirds?" Sheldon asked, walking backwards as the burly person stepped closer. Penny gripped on Sheldon's arm as he came nearer.

"Pretty lady like you shouldn't be with this bony wuss," he said as he twisted Penny's hair on his cold finger.

Penny snapped and pushed his hand away from her. "Get the hell away from us."

"What are you going to do? This kid ain't got the muscles or the guts to beat me. What's a sweetheart like you gonna do?" he taunted.

Sheldon pulled Penny behind him and stood face to face with this man. "Leave her alone or we'll call the police!"

"Like I'm afraid of the fuzz." He bluffed.

Without warning, the man grabbed Sheldon by the front of his t-shirts, lifting him up from the concrete. "You're messing with the wrong guy here." Sheldon was then thrown back down on the ground as the man began to chuckle. "Bastard can't even hit."

Penny watched as Sheldon attempted to pick himself off the concrete, only for the man to kick him, causing Sheldon to tumble. She heard him groan in pain, before she felt the man's large hands grasping her arms.

"Your turn, sweetheart."

Before he could try anything with her, Penny swiftly and harshly kicked the man in his crotch. He yelped and loosened his hold on her. Instincts took over Penny and she quickly seized his left arm, pulling it over his head then putting him in a choke hold. She used all the strength in her to keep him in place until she was able to knock him out by giving him one of her well-known jab with her fist.

Penny managed to lift Sheldon up as he watched him pass out from Penny's blow. "That was-"

She cut him off, wiping the blood that seeped through the fresh cut on his cheek. "Shhh..."

"I'm fine, Penny. It's just a scratch and maybe a few bruises on my body, but how did you do that?" Sheldon asked, pointing at the unconscious man still lying on the floor.

"Junior rodeo, Sheldon. Learned it growing up and it's been a big help for me ever since."

Penny reached for her purse that she had dropped and took her phone to dial the police.

* * *

Once help had arrived, Penny and Sheldon were questioned as they observe from a far the police placing handcuffing their now wide-awake attacker, and assisted him into the back of the police car. Afterwards, Sheldon was seen by one of the medics. She informed him that he received two minor cuts on his neck and cheek, as well as a bruise on his torso. He was fortunate that the man didn't kick him any harder, or else it would have caused damage.

It was past midnight when the adrenaline in Penny dissipated, and she was driving Sheldon back to his apartment. They drove in silence, having no words to speak after what had happened.

"My mother will ask me about this." Sheldon finally spoke, lifting his hand up to his cheek and feel the bandage on his cut.

"Why don't you want her to know what really caused that?"

"I don't want her to worry. In addition, she might force me to relocate after being in two altercations under a short period of time."

Penny nodded in agreement. "Okay. Well, Pasadena hasn't been treating you nicely lately, huh?"

"I guess."

The car stopped in front of Sheldon's apartment. "Do you need help getting upstairs?"

Sheldon smiled. "No thank you."

They sat in silence once more. "Isn't it weird how you were the one who got hurt during both altercations and I ended up being the one to save you?"

"With all the movies I have seen, isn't that supposed to be the man's job? To rescue the damsel in distress?"

Penny laughed. "It's a different story for us."

"It sure is," he chuckled under his breath.

"Well, goodnight. Don't hurt yourself walking up the stairs. Man, they really should get that elevator fixed."

"I am considering on informing them about that situation."

"Good. That way I don't have to walk up four flights of stairs just to get to your place. One day, you have to tell me how the elevator broke. I remember you mentioning about how you were involved in it."

"One day, I will. Thank you for driving me home, even after an eventful night." Sheldon opened the car door and climbed out.

"No problem, and thank you for waiting for me till my shift ended."

Sheldon began to walk to the entrance, before running back to the car and going around it so he was standing in front of the driver's side door. Penny lowered her windows when Sheldon gestured her to.

"Anything else?"

Sheldon debated for a moment whether to proceed or not.

He darted his head forward and kissed Penny's warm cheek. He could feel himself blush madly, and tried to cover his face. "Thank you for rescuing me for the second time, Penny."

"My pleasure, Sheldon."

As he inserted the key into the front door of the building, Sheldon watched as Penny drove away.

It was a _very_ eventful night, indeed.

**A/N:**

**I feel bad whenever I hurt Sheldon in my stories, but it's part of the storyline for later.**


	11. A secret revealed

_"One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood." _

_-Lucius Annaeus Seneca_

Sheldon switched the lights of his office on and his eyes wandered to the stacks of papers on his desk. He took off his messenger bag and windbreaker and placed them on one of the seats resting against the wall. He moved to his desk and slowly lowered himself down on hid office chair. The papers in front of him were dated days prior to his absence, and after rereading all of them, he knew where to go from there.

Picking up his Expo marker, Sheldon's phone vibrated against his pocket. Seeing the incoming text he received, he smiled when he read her name.

_How's my theoretical physicist who is currently tackling the mysteries of our universe?_

He quickly typed out a reply.

_I'm currently working on finishing the paper I had started before I went on leave._

Sheldon walked up to one of his whiteboards and began erasing the numbers on it when Penny sent another text.

_:) Nice to see you back at work. Those equations aren't going to solve themselves LOL._

_LOL? _Sheldon responded.

_Laugh out loud... LOL!_ Penny replied.

_Amusing._

His phone buzzed once more.

_It is :P Anyways, I have to run. Going in front of the cameras in five. Good luck on your paper!_

Before Sheldon could text her goodbye, a familiar man entered his office.

"How may I assist you?" Sheldon asked.

"Nothing. Dr. Gablehauser is requesting for you presence." Sheldon noticed his case of rhotacism.

"Alright. I'll be in his office in a few."

They both paused. "Do you remember who I am?"

"You seem familiar, possibly because of your speech impediment."

"Wow. I didn't know you would lose that much memory, but anyways, I'm Barry." Barry gave Sheldon a small wave.

"You're Barry Kripke?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Sheldon had nothing else to say. "Well, Barry, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet with Dr. Gablehauser." He capped on the marker in his hand and both men left Sheldon's office. Sheldon went straight down the hall as Barry turned left and walked into the corner where Leonard, Howard, and Raj were standing.

"Is he mad?" Raj spoke.

"Not sure fellas." Barry informed them before placing his hand towards them. "You owe me $10 for speaking to Cooper, remember?"

Leonard rolled his eyes and handed him the money. "There."

"See ya."

Once Barry left, the three headed to the Dr. Gablehauser's office.

"Why do you want to know if he's mad?" Howard asked Raj.

"I uh- can't tell you."

"Did you say something that pissed him off?"

Raj quickly shook his head. He hadn't told Leonard or Howard that he informed Sheldon about their past actions.

* * *

Sheldon held his lunch tray out in front of him as he entered the cafeteria. His attention was caught by Leonard flagging him down to their table where Raj and Howard sat. He decided to head towards them, taking a seat across from his roommate as the others exchanged greetings with Sheldon.

Leonard watched as Sheldon poked around his food with a fork. "Something got you down, buddy?"

Sheldon slowly lifted his head up. "No."

"Sheldon, I know that something is up. Can you please tell us?" The shorter physicist pleaded.

"Nothing is wrong." Sheldon could feel his left eye twitch uncontrollably as the three men sitting with him stared at his face.

"You okay?" Howard asked.

Before Sheldon could open his mouth to answer, another one of his lost memories began to play out.

_"Sheldon, just tell me who messed up my power point presentation." _

_Leonard confronted Sheldon the moment he got home from a lecture. One of his friends played a prank on Leonard, replacing his slides with pictures of barely clothed women. He guessed that it was either Howard or Raj, knowing the Sheldon was incapable of doing such act._

_"I don't know Leonard!"_

_Sheldon's eye and mouth began to twitch._

_"What's wrong with your face?"_

_ "There's no reason to bring my looks into this. Good day, Leonard." Sheldon huffed and retreated to his bedroom.  
_

_If Howard found out that Sheldon had snitched on him, his favorite Amazing Spider issue #29 would have been burned into charred pieces._

And that was the memory that told Sheldon about his inability to lie.

Howard recognized the twitching face. "He's lying, guys. A blonde waitress keeping you up all night?"

"No!" Sheldon immediately answered.

"Hold up," Leonard interrupted, "you're talking about Penny?"

"Yup. I had a feeling that Mr. Roboto over here having a little crush on her."

"I do not have a crush on her!"

Howard chuckled. "Don't deny it, embrace it."

"Well, have you been talking to her?" Raj asked.

Sheldon knew that there was no point in lying at that point. What he did care was Leonard's reaction to him talking to Penny. All week, he heard at least one comment from Leonard about the woman he barely knew. He started to eat at the Cheesecake Factory more often just to see glimpses of her, but failed at it since Sheldon would warn her about his visits.

He nodded once before resuming eating his food.

"Do you have her number?" Leonard questioned.

"I don't want to answer that."

"Please, Sheldon, you know how much I like her! It's in the bro code! You got to hook me up with your friend!"

Sheldon stood up and picked up his tray. "I'll be eating in my office. If you have anything else to say other than Penny, I suggest you do not bother looking for me." Sheldon glared at Leonard before leaving the cafeteria.

"Leonard, calm down." Raj said. "Give him some space."

Leonard rolled his eyes. "Fine, but he I can't believe that perfect gorgeous woman gave that nut ball her number."

"Yeah, well at least she didn't give it to the creepy clingy stalker that is you."

Raj brought his tray to the garbage bins before storming out of the cafeteria just like Sheldon.

"What's happening to our group?" Howard asked out of the blue.

Leonard shrugged his shoulders. "Things changed, i.e. Sheldon and Raj. Crazy right?"

"Yup," Howard answered nonchalantly, "crazy."

* * *

Sheldon gathered his mother's baggage as he waited for her in the hotel room. His mother had stayed four days longer after she spotted the cut along her son's cheek. She had asked him furiously about how he got it. Sheldon was able to make up an excuse, saying that he had a bad dream that night and scratched his face while asleep. If he had told his mother the truth, she would have stayed in Pasadena for another week.

Once Mary was ready to leave California, the Coopers headed down to the lobby and climbed into Penny's car. Sheldon placed Mary's baggage inside the truck before entering through the passenger side door. Mary sat behind them, eying the two young individuals.

"You know, Penny, you seem to be a good match for my Shelly." Mary said with a smile.

Sheldon turned his head back to look at his mother. "No, mother. We are just friends."

Penny nodded. "Yup. Plus, I just got out of a relationship and I'm enjoying my bachelorette days at this moment."

"Whatever happened between you and that Amy, dear?"

Sheldon shrugged his shoulders. "Amy and I are not compatible for each other at this second."

The car stopped in front of the airport terminal.

"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Cooper. I hope I get to see you again." Penny said.

Mary rested her hand on top of Penny's. "Take care of my little boy. No matter how much he says that he's a grown man, look after him. He can cause as much trouble as a twelve year old kid."

"Mother, I think you should enter the airport now if you don't want to miss you flight." Sheldon exited the vehicle and went to the trunk to get his mother's luggage.

Mary approached him and hugged her son tightly. Sheldon stiffened before placing his hand behind her back, patting it gently.

"Be safe, Shelly. I don't want to come back here with you hurt, understood?"

Sheldon nodded, and Mary continued. "Shelly, you know I wasn't joking around about you and Penny."

"What?"

"Don't act confused, mister. You know what I'm talking about. You're turning 34 in a month, and I'm still hoping that one day, you'll settle down and have a family of your own."

"Mom-"

Mary tiptoed and kissed her son's forehead, then patted his cheek. "Think about your future. It's not all about Nobel Prizes and physics in life."

"It is for me."

His mother sighed. "Think about it, Shelly. You'll regret it when it's too late."

Sheldon waved to his mother goodbye as she disappeared from his sight. He climbed into the car again as Penny watched him.

"That took you awhile, what did you guys talk about?" Penny asked.

Sheldon gave her a small smile. "Nothing to be worried about."

"Good."

As Penny merged into traffic, Sheldon couldn't help but look at the driver beside him.

_We are just friends__._

Sheldon turned to the blonde. "So, how do you feel about bowling tonight?"

**A/N:**

**Again, ignore the overlooked misspellings and grammar errors. English is tough, man.**


	12. Second Chances

_"Don't wait for the law of attraction to happen to you; make it happen for you, by taking action. Once you do this, you will experience the law of revelation."_

_-Charles F. Glassman_

* * *

"Leonard, may I speak with you for a moment?" Sheldon approached Leonard, who was on the couch watching _Captain America: The First Avenger_.

Leonard muted the television as Sheldon sat in his spot. "What's up?"

Sheldon cleared his throat. He had to get to the bottom of things. "What was your purpose on calling my mother, who lives approximately 1,595 miles away from here, that resulted an unexpected visit?"

"Well... I figured that since she is your mother, she has the right to know her son's well-being," Leonard answered.

His answer left Sheldon still unsatisfied. "Is there more to it?"

"Nothing, and why is a visit from your mom terrible?"

Sheldon shook his head. Leonard was wrong for assuming things too quickly. "Her visit was not terrible. I never said such word. It was unexpected and took me by surprise. In addition, I know why none of you contacted her in the first place. I did threaten all four of you with strikes, and I can't blame you for what you chose to do. However, weeks after the accident? It seemed like you called her for another purpose."

Leonard stayed silent, before Sheldon's phone began to ring. Answering it, Sheldon quickly talked to the person on the other line and hung up. "We'll discuss this when I get home. My ride is here, and I'll meet you all at the Cheesecake Factory later on tonight."

"Where are you heading?"

"None of your business. Goodbye, Leonard." Sheldon exited the apartment without another word.

Leonard was curious in what Sheldon was up to. Over the past week, he had been sneaking out of the apartment, and when he gets caught followed by his roommate asking where he was going to, Sheldon would not answer and leave right away. Grabbing his car keys and jacket, Leonard ran down the stairs, but stopped before he reached the lobby to hide behind the corner when he spotted Sheldon.

When the coast was clear, he swiftly made it to his car and ignited the engine in under a minute and thirty seconds. Leonard got out in time to see Sheldon climb inside a silver car and watched it pull itself into traffic. After a few seconds, Leonard merged his car into the street and began following the vehicle that Sheldon was in.

* * *

"I'm really gonna miss the friends I made on set. They're actually not one of your stereotypical celebrities who are highly conceited about themselves. In reality, they're super kind, much kinder than some people," Penny said as she gripped both of her hands on the steering wheel.

"Penny, are you sure you want to work the dinner shift again after what happened on Saturday late at night?" Sheldon was concerned. He had work the next day and he can't wait for her until she was ready to go home.

"Relax, sweetie. The manager understood what happened and he hired some late night security guards just in case," Penny reassured him.

Sheldon nodded, and his eyes caught something on the rear view mirror. The car behind him looked familiar, even more so was the man driving it. The glasses and small stature of the driver gave Sheldon the answer he was looking for. _What on earth is Leonard doing_, Sheldon thought. He knew Leonard was inquisitive, but he didn't know he was desperate.

Penny noticed Sheldon's tensed face. "Everything alright there?"

"Leonard is following us from behind," Sheldon said.

"What a creep! Why is he doing that?"

Sheldon leaned his head back, calming himself down. "Yesterday, Leonard found out that you and I are friends. He's determined to start up a conversation with you that will lead to a romantic relationship one day."

Penny couldn't believe it. She hated desperate men willing to do anything to get her. "Seriously?"

"I believe so. I suggest that you either increase your speed or use different routes and attempt to throw him off."

She turned down the next street, only to see Leonard's car still behind hers.

"What did he say when he found out we're friends?"

"He said that it was my duty to help set up a date with you," Sheldon informed Penny, who was still trying to lose the car in the back.

"Sheldon, please do not do that. I'm not going to appreciate it if you help him."

"There is no need to be afraid of me setting you up a date with that homunculus. If he wants to be with you, he has to get through me, and trust me, I'm strong enough to take him down."

Penny smiled. "That's really nice of you. But if he tries anything, I'll show him junior rodeo and he'll experience what the other guy did three days ago."

After a few minutes, Sheldon was sure that Leonard lost track of them. Penny drove the car back up to the main street and headed to the comic book store. "Are you sure that Leonard doesn't go here on Tuesdays?"

"No, they all go on Wednesday nights."

Penny parked the car near the entrance as Sheldon happily and excitingly unbuckled his seat belt and rushed to the door. He had read all of his comic book collection, and he wanted to get a new set. The owner of the store, Stuart, greeted Sheldon, before slurring his next words at the sight of Penny, who chuckled under her breath.

Sheldon led her to the Batman and Robin section, and started to browse through the bins. "I'm not sure if I should get this one or this. Penny?" He held up two different comic books, and Penny picked the one on his left hand.

"That one."

"Excellent choice."

Sheldon picked four more comic books before proceeding to the cash register.

"Hey, Sheldon. Haven't seen you for weeks. Did you also switch over to Amazon like the others?" Stuart asked as he scanned each book.

"No, I was involved in an accident and currently do not have all of my memories."

"How come no one tells me these things? Well, I hope you feel better."

Sheldon handed him the money. "Here you go and thank you."

Stuart took notice of Penny once again. "I'm Stuart, I own this store."

"Penny, Sheldon's friend," the blonde introduced herself.

"You're really pretty," Stuart said.

"Thanks, you seem like a nice guy." Penny saw a drawing on the counter. "Is that me?"

"Do you like it?"

Penny looked closer for a better look. "It's really good."

"Yes, that's you," Stuart responded in relief.

"That's so sweet, but what if I didn't like it?"

"It'd still be you, but I'd feel like an idiot."

She laughed. "Don't be, it's amazing. Can I keep it?"

"Sure! Here, take it." Stuart ripped the paper out of the sketch pad and gave it to Penny.

"I can't believe you drew-"

Sheldon interjected, "Penny, we have to go now if you do not want to be late for your shift."

"We still have a few more minutes."

"Traffic, Penny. It'll be a longer travel time the more we wait."

Stuart handed Penny his number. "Call me, sometime."

"We'll see."

Sheldon held Penny's arm as he pulled her out of the store. Penny began to snicker, earning a confused look from Sheldon. "What's funny?"

"Your reaction to all of this."

"I don't find it entertaining," Sheldon said, crossing his arms.

"You looked a little jealous back there."

"Am not!"

"Are too!" Penny giggled.

"How?"

Penny unlocked the car and the two went inside. "Well, you looked like you wanted to kill Stuart and you practically dragged me out of there."

Sheldon had no words. "Stuart lives on the second floor of his store." He made Stuart seem less desirable by saying that.

"Sweetie, no need to get over protective. I'm not interested in dating anyone right now but I am liking this picture of me." Penny showed him the drawing.

"Alright," Sheldon responded halfheartedly. "Shall we go?"

* * *

Sheldon was the first one to arrive at the Cheesecake Factory. Truth be told, he didn't want to eat with Leonard. He knew the Leonard was planning on either interrogating him or searching around for Penny.

He took a seat in front of their designated table, his stomach growling from not having to eat anything earlier. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Raj heading towards him. Sheldon waited for a few seconds, expecting the rest of the entourage to follow from behind. He was surprised to see that it was only Raj that came by himself without the others. He lowered the menu he was reading as Raj sat across from Sheldon.

"Hey there, Sheldon," Raj greeted.

"Hello. Where are Leonard and Howard? I was given the understanding that we were going to dine here together," Sheldon said.

Raj checked the time on his phone. "Well, I can say that Leonard will be here in ten minutes. Howard can't make it because Bernadette has the flu, so he has to take care of her. So I guess it's just going to be us three."

"Alright," Sheldon responded, before looking at the appetizers the restaurant offered.

Penny walked to the table with a smile. "Hey Sheldon."

"Hello, Penny."

Penny noticed the other man sitting with Sheldon. "You're Raj, right?"

Raj stared at Penny. His face dropped and avoided eye contact with the blonde. Penny sensed that he was very shy.

"Are you okay?" Penny asked.

Raj shook his head, still not speaking a word.

"Rajesh here can't speak to women. He suffers from selective mutism which does not allow him to talk to the opposite sex," Sheldon informed Penny.

"Oh, that's too bad. Is there a cure for it?"

"There is currently no medication that can get rid of his mutism completely, although I do suggest therapeutic interventions."

Penny gave him a nod, and then saw Leonard from a distance. "Umm, well it's nice to meet you Raj. Sheldon I have to get back to work, see ya."

Sheldon watched as Penny head to the opposite direction as Leonard neared their table. "Sorry I was late. Traffic was an ass today."

"No worries," Raj said before Leonard seated himself next to Sheldon.

* * *

What Sheldon expected from Leonard earlier in the evening was happening right in front of his eyes. Raj also knew what the shorter guy was up to. He understood why Sheldon had been avoiding him ever since Leonard found out he knew Penny. Now, he won't stop bothering him about her. Sheldon wondered why he was so desperate and pathetic. There are millions of other girls out there, but here's Leonard fixating on one woman that he doesn't know that well.

Sheldon could conclude that Leonard valued beauty over worth in a woman. It's safe to say that the only thing Leonard does know about her is her name and where she works. Even if Leonard found some way to speak with Penny, she would immediately shoo him off. She didn't have any interest with that man, and she certainly would not want to be friends with a guy who's only after her looks.

Leonard excused himself for a moment, believing that a similar blonde waitress passing by was Penny. Sheldon was sure it wasn't actually her. If she was the Penny he knew, she wouldn't have walked past their table, especially if she knows that Leonard was around. Left sitting on the table were Raj and Sheldon, enjoying their hot fudge sundaes for dessert.

"Sheldon, are you still mad about what we did to you?" Raj wondered, he had a feeling about what Sheldon's response would be.

"I do have to admit that I am. However, Raj, I am not mad at you as much I am with Leonard and Howard. You were the only one who told me the things I needed to know and the only who didn't seem to want to change me. Although I'm disappointed in your involvement, out of the three, you are the one I could see being forgiven. You were the most apologetic and Leonard informed me of how you stood up for me when I wasn't there."

Raj grinned. "Thank you, Sheldon. I feel much better now that I know you are willing to give me a second chance."

"I wonder if the same can be done to Howard."

"If you need any knowledge about them, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be an open book for you."

"Good, and Raj, about Penny-"

Raj nodded. "I know. I'll try my best to snap Leonard out of his delusional fantasy. I won't say anything about you and Penny when he's around."

"Thanks."

Sheldon had a small glimmer of hope for Raj. He seemed to be the most understanding out of the group and the one who deeply regretted his actions. Maybe things could go back to normal between him and Raj. The same can not be said for Leonard and Howard, yet.

They went back to eating their sundaes before Leonard returned with an exasperated face. "It wasn't her."

"Let it go, Leonard. We're almost done and we can go home to start Battlestar Galactica," Raj said.

Leonard looked around one more time. "Fine, let's get out of here. Penny's probably hiding from me."

Sheldon frowned. He wanted to talk to Penny and say goodbye before leaving, but she wasn't about to show herself.

His phone vibrated, and Sheldon checked the incoming text message.

_I'll be safe Sheldon. I'll call you when I get home._

Sheldon smiled as the three of them began to leave the restaurant.


	13. Revelations

_"Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open."_

_-Alexander Graham Bell_

* * *

**A week later...  
**

It was another one of those nights when Leonard had to work later than usual to finish up an experiment. Sheldon and Penny would use his absence to their advantage, spending more time together at Apartment 4A.

Penny was currently auditioning for more acting gigs, and her agent was working her tail off to find Penny the right role. She received call-backs for commercials, but none that were as big as her role on _Criminal Minds_. Penny had to pick up more shifts at the restaurant while looking for an acting job, but she knew that after being exposed on television, more people will start to recognize her and she'll be offered more roles.

Wednesday night was Halo Night, and without any other players, the match was between Sheldon and Penny.

Sheldon was confident that he would easily beat Penny after the first round, but found himself struggling to avoid Penny's character in the game. At the end of the round, Sheldon realized that if he teamed up with Penny, they could enter tournaments and dominate them easily. The two put their skills into work by playing online with others. Throughout the game, they were able to wipe out their enemies as well as cover each other's backs. They were so good at the game that the rest of the players accused them of cheating.

An hour after Halo, Penny suggested they watch a movie before she has to leave. Sheldon showed her their assorted DVD collection, ranging from science fiction to action and adventure genres. Penny browsed through the countless DVDs before pulling out Spider Man with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. It was her favorite movie out of the several Spider Man films they owned.

Sheldon told her that it was an excellent choice before popping the movie into the DVD player and they sat on the couch.

During the movie, Sheldon noticed that Penny was very close to his body, their arms almost touching. A loud boom sounded through the speakers and Penny gripped Sheldon's arm in surprise. After she calmed her nerves down, Penny let his arm out of her grasp and continued watching the movie.

They reached the scene where Mary Jane is being followed by thugs in the middle of the night, and Spider Man saves her. Penny's eyes were glued to the screen as they shared the iconic kiss where Peter, as Spider Man, hanged upside down and kissed Mary Jane. Penny awed during the entire scene and leaned into Sheldon's ear.

"I want a romantic kiss like that," Penny whispered.

Sheldon blushed all of a sudden, but fortunately, the lights were turned off and Penny couldn't see him. "It is romantic."

As the movie progressed, Mary Jane finds out that she has a crush on Spider Man, who has saved her on numerous occasions. Before the film ended, Penny had fallen asleep on the couch, her body resting against Sheldon's.

He wasn't sure whether to wake her up or wait until she does, but he decided to finish the movie and leaving Penny alone.

She stirred in her sleep and mumbled Sheldon's name, causing him to glance down at her sleeping form. The light from the television was enough for Sheldon to see her soft features.

Something took over him, and Sheldon gently grazed his index finger along the side of her cheek. The moment was so peaceful and quiet, so serene, and Sheldon didn't pay attention to the last few minutes of the movie.

_You know, Penny, you seem to be a good match for my Shelly._

Sheldon thought about his mother's words. A part of him wanted to laugh and say that he didn't harbor any feelings for her, while the other part was thinking of a possibility.

Mary was right, he was getting older and he wondered what will happen after he wins the Nobel Prize. Sooner or later, everyone around him will move on with their lives. Penny will someday find another man who she will love and want to spend the rest of her life with. Leonard, hopefully, will overcome his obsession with Penny, and meet someone new. Howard is married and thinking about having kids. Raj, well, he was sure he'll have someone for him.

What happens after that?

Sheldon was uncomfortable with the thought of being alone until he dies. Sure, he might visit Penny every once in awhile, but there's always the possibility of their friendship drifting away until they become strangers.

_Why now_, Sheldon asked himself. _Why reflect on your life now?_

It had something to do with the woman who is now sleeping on his lap. She taught him about the great things in life and how there are so much to live for. Penny would share Sheldon some of her deepest secrets, such as how much she dreamed to have at least one child to guide through their world.

They haven't known each other for a long time, but their bond seemed like they were.

Sheldon stared at Penny, brushing the hair away from her face. Why didn't he feel the same way toward Amy?

He guessed that maybe because after losing his memory and meeting Penny right after that, he had grown closer to her. Amy distanced herself and did not give him enough time to recover, and that led to their breakup.

Penny slowly opened her eyes, and found herself looking up at Sheldon. She glanced to the television, and noticed the movie ended. Penny sat up and apologized for invading Sheldon's space, to which he forgave her.

"It's late, and I better go. I have to work during the lunch shift tomorrow, and I can pick you up from work afterwards," Penny said as she stood up and fixed her hair.

"That would be acceptable."

Sheldon followed her to the front door. "Goodnight, Sheldon. I wish we can hang out more rather than waiting for a day when Leonard's working late."

"I wish that, too," he agreed. "Goodnight, Penny."

Penny smiled and headed downstairs to her car. Driving back home, she lifted her hand and grazed it softly on her cheek like how Sheldon did.

She felt his warm touch and wondered what was going through his mind the entire time.

* * *

Raj knocked on Sheldon's office door, before being granted permission to enter.

Sheldon was sitting on his desk chair, typing away on his laptop. "Hello, Raj. How may I help you?"

"I just wanted to drop by and check on you. What are you doing there?" Raj asked as he moved closer to see what Sheldon was doing.

"I'm finishing my paper on dark matter that I had started weeks prior," Sheldon showed Raj the document on his computer screen.

"I look forward to reading it. Anyways, I was wondering if you want to hang out later. No Leonard if you want."

Sheldon thought for a moment. "Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking of stopping by the new model train store they have over at Toluca Lake."

Sheldon smiled. "I do like trains. What time?"

"Right after work if possible."

"Oh, Penny is picking me up later."

Raj nodded. "That's alright. Maybe I'll swing by your apartment at five and we'll go from there."

"Sounds great," Sheldon said.

* * *

Penny walked up the four flights of stairs with Sheldon on her side. "What do you have planned this evening?"

"Raj and I are going to a model train shop."

"That sounds like fun. You know, I should introduce you to my cousin's son, he loves trains."

The two stopped in front of Sheldon's apartment. "Would you like to come in?"

Penny smiled. "Sure."

Sheldon unlocked the front door and gestured Penny to enter first. After settling in, Sheldon sat down beside Penny on the couch. "Would you like a beverage?"

"No thank you. Listen, I have something to talk about with you."

Sheldon furrowed his brow. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah. Last night, I felt you... touching my cheek. I just want to know what that was all about."

"Oh, um... it was nothing."

"Are you sure?"

Sheldon quickly nodded. Penny eyed him intensely with her green orbs. "Sheldon..."

"I was just... brushing a piece of hair away from your face. It seemed like you were uncomfortable because of that," Sheldon instantly stood up and walked away, his face twitching uncontrollably after lying. Once he had control over his nerves, he looked back at Penny who was still sitting down.

"Well, thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome."

Sheldon's phone received a text message from Raj who informed him that he's waiting outside. He told Penny and they both walked downstairs to the lobby. Neither of them talked, suffering from an unpleasant period of silence. When they reached the entrance, Penny turned Sheldon around so he could face her.

"Sheldon, tell me what's up. You don't have to do it now, but I really want to know."

"I will, Penny."

Penny cupped his face and patted his cheek gently. "Talk to you later."

She lowered her hand and made her way back to the car. Sheldon froze, before caressing the same spot where Penny's hand touched him. His attention was turned over to the awaiting car nearby and Raj calling out his name from inside. Sheldon looked back at Penny, who began to drive away.

He could feel the butterflies in his stomach as he recalled the feel of the palm of Penny's soft hands on his cheek.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you again for all the reviews. Every time I get a notification, I smile.**


	14. Inner thoughts

_"Happiness can exist only in acceptance."_

_-George Orwell_

* * *

Sheldon didn't understand, and he was afraid of the feeling almost overwhelming him.

The first time he met Penny, he swore that he only saw her as a friend. Nothing more, nothing less.

As weeks passed and he was able to get to know Penny better. He knew more of Penny than he knew himself over a short period of time. He knew more of Penny than the rest of his group.

What really freaked him out to most was how he was comfortable when she invaded his personal space. He didn't flinch when Penny would grab his hand or kiss his cheek. The most unsuspecting part about it was that he was doing those things _more_ than her. How could a germaphobe like him be acceptable of her touches? How could a germaphobe like him be acceptable of touching her?

He was confused about himself.

Raj agreed to help him with that. Ever since they went to the train shop last week, Sheldon began warming up to Raj. Spending time with him made him regain the lost memories that he shared with Raj, such as going to the zoo to look at monkeys and competing at the annual Mystic Warlords of Ka'a tournament held at the Stuart's comic book store. Raj kept his promise which was not to blab about Penny when Leonard or Howard was around. Sheldon still couldn't trust them.

In addition to Penny and Raj, in his new circle of friends was Stuart. Yes, he might have been a tad bit protective of Penny when Stuart was around (in some situations, a little jealous), but he had grown fond of him. He, Raj, and Stuart would linger at the comic book store after closing hours and discuss about superheroes and planned on attending this year's Comic Con.

He was glad he was rebuilding his friendship with Raj, and starting a new one with Stuart. Raj told him that he never really talked to Stuart unless it was about purchasing one of his items. They never invited Stuart to their outings, and Sheldon was disappointed that they didn't. Stuart was a nice and funny guy once you got to know the real him. Stuart also shared that he was depressed because of how lonely he was, and when Sheldon reached out to him, Stuart now had something to live for. Friendship.

But then, there's still Penny.

Some people might have mistaken Sheldon as Penny's brother, but what they really had was a very close bond. Sheldon wasn't that close to his brother and sister than he was with Penny. With Penny, he can be himself and not having to worry about her ever judging the way he is.

Sheldon was delighted to meet Penny. If she wasn't around that fateful night, things would have been different.

A: He would have died.

B: If he did survive, and Raj told him about the things the group did to him, Sheldon would have felt alone.

C: Without Penny, he'll never realize how badly he was mistreated by his so-called friends.

D: Without Penny, Sheldon wouldn't be the fun and free-spirited he is at that moment.

He owed it so much to Penny. Not only did she rescue him, she had been there for him through it all, even though she could have chosen not to pursue a friendship with him after he was rushed to the hospital.

But she did.

He wondered what his actual feelings towards her are. He likes Penny and having her company. But there was a small part of him asking for more.

_You know, Penny, you seem to be a good match for my Shelly._

Sheldon knew that his mother was wise. However, what she said back in the car was completely absurd!

_No, mother. We are just friends._

Was Sheldon convincing his mother, or himself?

"My mother. I was convincing my mother," Sheldon muttered to himself repeatedly.

Sheldon was straightening out the apartment. He was cleaning the table and counter tops, dusting off the furniture, and reorganizing the DVDs in the entertainment system. He sat in front of the television and began laying the assorted DVDs out on the floor. He decided to organize them by genre, but switched it to the release date, before settling back to genre. The first DVD he picked up was the movie Spider Man that he and Penny were watching during the night when Leonard stayed at work late.

He remembered when she slept on his lap as he looked at her face, and touched the soft skin of her cheek.

He held in his hand the DVD cover, and thought of the events that occurred in the movie. For some reason, he started to compare himself to the movie. Sheldon found it funny and he chuckled when he compared himself to Mary Jane and Penny to Spider Man. He would have wanted it done the other way around if it wasn't for Penny always saving him when in trouble.

_Mary Jane fell in love with Spider Man because he rescued her_, he mused.

Maybe that was the reason he had all these feelings. It was all because Penny rescued him.

Sheldon couldn't say he fell in love with her, knowing he doesn't really know what the feeling actually is. He knew that he just had them for her. Feelings.

He heard keys jingling from the other side of the door, and before he could turn, Leonard had entered the apartment with a smug look on his face.

"You won't believe what happened when I came into the building."

Sheldon stood up and looked down at the smaller physicist. "You went out in the hallway, stumbled into an interdimensional portal which brought you 5,000 years into the future, where you took advantage of the advanced technology to build a time machine, and now you're back to bring us all with you to the year 7010 where we are transported to work at the thinkatorium by telepathically controlled flying dolphins?"

Leonard stared at him. "What?"

"Bazinga," Sheldon simply said, before turning around.

"Okay... but anyways, I was entering through the front of the building when I bumped into Penny."

Sheldon immediately faced him. "You what?"

"I bumped into her. She was about to walk up the stairs when I approached and chatted with her," Leonard said proudly.

"Where is she now?"

"She left right after."

Sheldon frowned. Penny was going to surprise him with a visit but ended up leaving after talking to Leonard. "What did you two talk about?"

"Oh, you know... stuff. I suggested we head out for a cup of coffee and she just gave me a nod before walking out. Sheldon, I need her number. I think this can work out, me and her together."

"I hardly think so."

Leonard gasped. "Why would you say that?"

"Penny has no interest in you."

"And you know that how?"

"She told me herself."

Leonard huffed in annoyance. "I see what this is. You just don't want me coming after her because you like her, too! In addition, you're jealous because I can easily ask her out and you can't."

"I do not!" Sheldon protested.

"Then give me her number to prove it."

Sheldon shook his head. "No!"

He stormed to his bedroom without another word.

"Dammit, I'm in big trouble now," Leonard murmured to himself before collapsing down on the couch.

* * *

**A/N:**

**A little shorter than usual, but I wrote it to set up the next chapter. Expect it tomorrow ;)  
**

**Up next: What _really_ happened between Leonard and Penny.**


	15. Realization

_"When we give up the chase, we give up our wishing." _

_-Stephen Richards_

* * *

Penny entered the building with the biggest smile on her face. She just received her paycheck for her role on the show and she couldn't wait to tell Sheldon about how she is now considered as a professional actress. As she began to climb up the stairs, a voice called for her from behind. She slowly turned around and rolled her eyes seeing that it was Leonard. She gave him a small wave before resuming ascending to the fourth floor.

"Hey," Leonard grabbed her hand and she faced him. "Are you checking out the open apartment on the fifth floor?"

She didn't want to stand in the middle of the stairway talking to Leonard. "No, I was just about to visit a friend."

Leonard nodded. "Sheldon, right?"

"Yup," Penny began moving but stopped when Leonard called her name again.

"Um, why are you friends with him?"

She had a clue of what he was trying to do. "Because he's sweet, funny, and loyal, unlike some asshats in this world."

"You don't even know the real him. He's neurotic and controlling and condescending and..."

Penny shushed him. "He is a hundred percent definitely not all of those things. Maybe _you_ don't know the real him." She turned around once more, but Leonard gripped her arm, keeping her from walking away. Penny got out of his tight grasp, wishing that Leonard would just leave her alone.

"Come on, I lived with the guy for almost ten years now. Why did I stay friends with him? It was because I felt sorry that he couldn't make other friends."

If he didn't stop there, Penny would give him a piece of her mind. "I don't care. Sheldon isn't like that, and what you did to him is completely unacceptable. He has been bullied all his life and it's not right that it continues until this day. You're a jackass, Leonard, and I hope Sheldon kicks you out."

"He needs me to function properly. He can't drive because he thinks he's too evolved so I have to chauffeur him around town. The guy's a big baby, he makes you sing some ridiculous song when he's sick and only sees everyone as a tool to use in his life. He has no feelings and lacks empathy towards others," Leonard crossed his arms. He hoped that was enough for Penny to change her mind about Sheldon.

"Listen to me. I do not giving a flying fuck about what you think he is. When I tell you he's none of that, he is _none_ of that. And before you judge about Sheldon, take a good look of yourself. You are just pathetic and creepy. Stalking me at work and around town isn't gonna increase your chances in sleeping with me. You have to stop this crap now or you'll get what's coming. Do you understand?" Penny taunted, fighting the urge to knock him out right now.

Leonard nodded quickly and Penny went down the stairs. "I thought you were gonna see Sheldon?"

Penny faced him one more time. "Changed my mind now that you're here."

* * *

Sheldon locked his bedroom door before fishing out his phone from his pocket. He dialed Penny's number in a flash and sat on the bed. Something happened between her and Leonard, and Sheldon was worried.

It took Penny awhile to pick up the phone, and he almost thought that she didn't want to speak with him until he heard her voice.

"Sheldon?"

He relaxed. "Penny. I do apologize for Leonard's behavior. It was completely out of line and inappropriate."

"Do you know the things he said to me about you?"

"What did he say?"

Penny sighed. "He said how neurotic, controlling, and condescending you are. I'm not saying that you're all of that but what I'm saying is why you are still putting up with that bastard."

"I-I don't know."

"Well, I'm tired of his constant creepy self. I can't visit you Sheldon, not even if he's working late. He's too much to handle and he had a tight grip of my arm back there so I wouldn't leave just yet."

Sheldon raised his brow. "He laid a hand on you?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't anything bad. He just gripped my arm to turn me around when I decided that I didn't want to further the conversation."

He could feel his blood boiling. "I have to kick him out of the apartment."

"Sheldon, you don't have to-"

"I have to, Penny. His actions are becoming unbearable. Ever since my accident, he has done nothing to help me and all he does every day is talk about you."

He felt like it was the right thing to do. The only problem to it was finding a new roommate to pay half of the rent. He couldn't rely on Penny driving him anywhere at any time. He knew she had things to do and didn't want to bother her if she's busy. But the thought of kicking Leonard out of the apartment was a priority of his now.

"Sheldon?"

"I'm still here. I'm just thinking of how I'm going to find a new roommate."

Penny was quiet on the other line. "How about me?"

"What?"

"I'll be your roommate if you want. The rent is getting too pricey over here and I can't keep taking all of Tyler's money. I wouldn't oppose to the idea of it."

Maybe this was a good thing. He could see Penny everyday and make sure she has arrived home safely. They don't need to sneak out just to see each other. "That sounds acceptable. I'll give Leonard the thirty days notice and we'll go from there."

"Are you sure it's okay for you?"

"I am more than sure."

* * *

_That son of a bitch is kicking me out?_ Leonard thought as he read over Sheldon's email once more. He was serious, and since it's Sheldon's name on the lease, he had control over it. There wasn't much that Leonard could do and talk some sense to his lunatic roommate.

Well, in thirty days, his _ex_-roommate.

He didn't do anything recently that violated the Roommate Agreement, but even if he did, Sheldon's wouldn't know since he still has no clue of what the agreement is.

Leonard headed to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. He hasn't seen much of Sheldon since yesterday, and Leonard knew that Penny probably told him of their encounter in the stairwell. He angrily slammed his cup on the kitchen counter. How could a girl like Penny enjoy hanging out with Sheldon? Leonard felt that it was only a matter of time before he regains all his memories, and Penny finally realizes the man he really is.

And wasn't Sheldon with Amy? Leonard should at least tell Amy about his suspicions. There was something off about Sheldon and Penny, and he didn't want to believe that there was a huge possibility of the two going out. He glanced over to the window and spotted Penny's car waiting out in front of the apartment building. He heard the water from the shower being turned off, letting him know that Sheldon was about to come out of the bathroom.

He had to know everything that was between the two. It was bothering him so much. Without putting any more thought into what he was about to do, Leonard grabbed his car keys and sneaked out of the apartment. He managed to get into his car without Penny seeing him. Minutes later, Sheldon exited the building and entered Penny's car. Leonard made sure that there was enough space between him and the car he was following. He stayed behind two other cars and waited a block away from Best Buy where Sheldon was being dropped off.

Leonard saw Penny in her Cheesecake Factory uniform and guessed that she's on her way for her shift afterwards. He drove to the restaurant and stayed in his car until he saw Penny enter. The recognizable blonde hair caught his attention, and soon after arriving, he walked inside the restaurant and tried to look for Penny.

Once he was able to locate Penny inside, he immediately walked up to her from behind.

Leonard tapped on Penny's shoulder, gaining attention. "Ye- What the hell are you doing here?"

"I need to speak with you," he said, ignoring the malicious look on Penny's face.

"I'm working right now. If you don't leave me alone in the next ten seconds, I will personally hogtie and castrate you faster than you can blink," she growled.

Leonard backed up a little bit, but didn't turn away. "It's something about Sheldon."

"Oh my god, can you please leave us alone! Sheldon and I being friends is none of your business. The exit is right there. Leave."

Penny marched to the podium to place the menus in her hand back. Leonard stayed close to her. "Please, give me five minutes of your time and you'll never have to hear from me after that if you wish."

If talking for five minutes is what all it takes for him to leave her alone, then fine. She sighed annoyingly and led Leonard to the back door nearby. They stood outside in the middle of the alley with Penny crossing his arms waiting for him to speak. "So?"

"First off, I just want to know what's going on between you and Sheldon."

"I told you before, it's none of your damn business!" Penny huffed.

Leonard glanced down to the concrete. "He likes you, you know?"

Penny believed he was only bluffing. She shook her head. "Okay, but I don't really get why you have to stalk us around town."

He sighed. "I-I really like you. There I said it. I like you and I hope that there's that something special between us," Leonard said, feeling a little flustered.

"I know. Sheldon told me. Following me everywhere isn't a great way to see if I feel the same way. Okay, you like me. I don't return those feelings for you however. Maybe I would have if you aren't a creep and such an ass towards Sheldon, but no. We have nothing."

Leonard frowned and began to sob. "You're right. I am a creep."

Penny wanted to leave him out in the open in tears. She honestly didn't care about him because of things he did. But she wasn't heartless. Yes, she thought he was pathetic, but she sighed when he realized how he really is.

"Stop crying," she told him as he wiped his face.

"I'm a mess right now. I can't get any girls. I'm gonna live the rest of my life as a lonely pathetic and desperate asshole like what everyone told me growing up."

Penny hesitantly placed her left hand on his shoulder. "Look, I'm still not happy about what you did. Leonard, don't you think you try too much? Instead of stalking women and pretend that both of you are soul mates, why not start out as friends? Get to know each other first before thinking too far ahead."

"What chance do I have? I am a nerd who sleeps in a bed with Star Wars sheets and can't eat cheese. I'm not confident and I can't just walk up to any woman and say hello. You're like the hundredth woman that has rejected me." More tears began to pour. "I hated my life growing up, and nothing is different right now! I moved away from the bullies in high school, great! But there are more out here, too. My mother is constantly putting my esteem down and I get depressed when I'm rejected by people. I only dated three women in ten years, and none of them lasted more than a year."

He continued. "My friends are now turning their backs against me. Sheldon's ignoring me. Raj, I've barely hang out with or seen him. Howard is slowly drifting out of my life. They're all I have left as well as my work. I can't live like this anymore."

Penny was no longer furious. Her heart broke for the man standing in front of her covered in his own tears. No one deserved this. Not even him.

"Leonard, I'm sorry things don't work out that well for you. I go through that as well. But we have to learn to move on to better things. Instead of constantly living in dejection, why not flip a new page. Get a fresh start?"

"You mean move away?"

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying to be the better man you are capable of, Leonard. Don't cry and feel lonely every time someone rejects you. Take a deep breath and move on. Sheldon told me about the things you did and I'll say to stop those. Stop treating him like a child and playing tricks on him. Be kinder, more accepting, and more supportive, and maybe Sheldon will come back. Same goes to your other friends."

Penny handed him a napkin from her apron's pocket.

"But moving isn't a bad idea. Sheldon's basically kicking me out of the apartment."

There was that, too. "Explain yourself to him as you did to me. He'll probably understand. It's worth a try."

Leonard nodded. "Thank you, Penny. I really regret all those creepy stuff. I was just-"

She interrupted him and smiled. "I know. We haven't talked one on one, and I'm starting to see a man with feelings, a man who doesn't understand everything even if he's one of the smartest people out there. It's okay."

Penny quickly embraced him, hearing his sobs stopping and his breathing calming down.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Leonard is a creep in this story. Gonna make him less of a creep now. ****Reviews are gladly appreciated :)  
**

**In addition, I hope everyone enjoyed Easter today with your loved ones or chocolate boxes!  
**


	16. Veritas

_"I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light." _

_- Helen Keller_

* * *

A knock on a door alerted Sheldon, whom had just came home from Best Buy. He was folding his bus pants neatly before putting them away inside the closet. Sheldon walked up to the door and twisted the handle. On the other side was Penny with her welcoming and warming smile that always seems to have an effect on Sheldon.

"Hello, Penny. I thought your shift doesn't end until four in the afternoon?" Sheldon asked.

Penny tilted her head up to meet Sheldon in the eye. "It does, but I decided to come home earlier. I apologize that I wasn't available to pick you up from the store. At least you brought your bus pants along with you."

"I don't mind. I feel like an inconvenience when I request for rides when you are busy," Sheldon pursued his lips for a moment. "Penny, as much as I value the times when you stop by my apartment, why did you leave work early? I was given the understanding that you need extra money and you need to pick up more shifts to prevent withholding your current lifestyle. Leaving work before you're supposed to doesn't help that."

She nodded. Penny appreciated it when Sheldon cared about her. "I had to. This is kind of important, sweetie."

Sheldon felt the familiar feeling of flutters in his stomach when Penny used the term of endearment for him. He stepped over slightly to the right and invited Penny inside. "Do you want to come in?"

She walked into the living room slowly, and before Sheldon could shut the door behind him, a hand prevented him from doing so. Leonard stood in front of the doorway as Sheldon glanced over to him and Penny. He turned to Leonard, who was still waiting outside. "What are you doing here?"

"Sheldon, I still live here. I haven't moved out formally, yet. So, this is my apartment too right now."

Sheldon controlled his patience, and Penny stepped between the two. "Sheldon, I need you to sit down. We need to talk, all three of us."

"I have nothing to say to Leonard. All I want is him to hand over the keys for this apartment and be on his way now." Sheldon crossed his arms and glared at Leonard.

Penny lightly gripped both of his arms and Sheldon lowered his head to look at her. "Sweetie, please. He wants to explain things."

Sheldon nodded and walked to the couch. Penny sat beside him on the middle cushion as Leonard closed the door and took a seat on the beige arm chair. The three were quiet. The air was filled with tension between the two smart men who were supposed to be best friends, but acted like strangers now. Sheldon contained the anger he had for Leonard. He confronted Penny the day before, and made her feel uncomfortable. The last straw was him touching her.

Penny gestured Leonard to begin talking, but both were still sitting in empty silence. She sighed, and slipped her small hand into Sheldon's. He flinched, and immediately trailed his eyes down to their interlocked fingers. Her touch calmed him down. Sheldon took one deep breath and turned his head to Leonard. "What do you have to say?"

Leonard began explaining himself. He apologized profusely for his behavior for the past several weeks, and noted that what he did was unacceptable. Sheldon listened to his heartfelt plea to forgive him, with Leonard mentioning how they had fun times with each other. Sheldon sighed, remembering the three-person chess matches and Settlers of Catan games. He remembered the time when they won a costume contest on New Year's Eve.

As much as Sheldon hated to admit it, he misses his little buddy. Sheldon regained the memories of all the good times they shared, the ones that only included him and the other three men. Their betrayal was what keeping him from continuing his friendships with them. He couldn't trust them.

They did those things more than once, what was stopping them for doing it another time?

He was grateful to salvage at least one friendship which was with Raj. Sheldon did wish that it would be easy to forgive them, but it was a challenge.

Now here was Leonard, practically on his knees, begging forgiveness from Sheldon. He swore that he will never try to change him and he wouldn't dare to do something wrong to him again. He was sorry for all the rough times he gave Sheldon and all the times when he made fun of him. Leonard understood that Sheldon and him may never be close friends like before, but was hoping that they'll still be friends.

"Leonard," Sheldon made the other man pause in the middle of his long speech. "Let me talk to Penny for a second."

Penny followed Sheldon into the kitchen area, wondering what he needed to say. "Penny, we can't trust him."

"Sweetie, I know this is hard. I don't trust him either. But I need you think this clearly. Are you sure that there's nothing to do to salvage your friendship with him and you're ready to leave him?"

Sheldon paused. He was sure, wasn't he? "What about you? You wish to endure more of his constant obsession over you?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. I'm worried Sheldon. I'm trying to see if this is the best decision for you." Penny stopped and pondered for a second. "How about this. A test run. Remember when you told me about how before a new product gets released to the public, the company has to do some kind of test run and make sure everything's fine? Well, try to get along for a few days or a week. See if this goes anywhere. If you still think he'll never change, cut the cord. I'm only suggesting this to you and you have the final say."

"But I want him out of the apartment now. You need a place to stay because of financial problems."

Penny cupped his face and patted it gently. "I know. I think it's a great idea, but Sheldon, you don't drive. Leonard is telling you that he's willing to drive you around again. I picked up more shifts at the restaurant and it's messing up my schedule. I don't like you taking the bus or walking home alone. Try it for a short time."

Sheldon looked at Penny and back at Leonard who was sitting on the couch. "Alright."

The two walked over back to the living room. "Leonard, I'm willing to give you a chance. You have one week to prove yourself. That's seven days to see if you are worthy of my trust again. If you revert back to your old ways during or after that time period, you'll be seeing yourself out of this apartment."

Leonard beamed. "T-That's great! Wow, I was scared about it going the other way. Thank you for giving me a chance. I meant the things I said to you just now, and I wish that the accident didn't happen."

"No, Leonard. I'm grateful it happened. Without it, I wouldn't have met Penny." He shifted his eyes towards the blonde and smiled.

Penny squeezed his hand before Sheldon returned his focus on Leonard.

Leonard was observing the two. Obviously, something was definitely going on between them. He refrained from asking, afraid of irritating Sheldon. Penny was right, what she and Sheldon have is none of his business. "You two look like a cute couple."

Penny chuckled and released her hold of Sheldon's hand. "We're not a couple."

Sheldon frowned when he lost the feeling of Penny's soft palms. "We're friends."

"Oh." Leonard got a sense of what was happening.

Sheldon cleared his throat. "Would the two of you care to play the new Halo game I bought?"

"Sure. Sounds awesome," Penny cheerfully said as Sheldon stood up and inserted the video game inside his Xbox, taking three controllers with him before returning to his spot. "How are we going to split into teams? Do you guys want to play one-on-one instead?"

"What do you usually do?" Leonard asked.

"Penny and I team up and eliminate the opposing team with ease."

Leonard cracked his fingers. "I bet you two can't beat me."

"Um, that is highly unlikely to happen. Am I sensing a challenge here?"

"I challenge you and Penny to beat me."

Penny couldn't help but laugh. "Good luck, Leonard."

The round started and the three took their places.

"You're going to need it."

* * *

Sheldon walked Penny down the stairs after playing hours of Halo. Leonard lost, much to his surprise. Sheldon laughed at Leonard's confidence in beating them.

With Penny, they were unstoppable.

As they descended to the Lobby, they talked about plans for the weekend. Sheldon wanted to attend a model train show, and he invited Penny to come. Penny, however, had another audition lined up and she was ready to give it her all. The audition is for a small recurring role on television, and Penny was hopeful that she'll ace it.

They stopped in front of Penny's silver car, but they lingered outside for a while. Sheldon gently cupped Penny's jaw and slowly lifted it up, her eyes gazing upon the early night sky. She gasped, seeing all the stars shining down on the two. She heard Sheldon speak, but continued examining the stars above.

"When I was a little boy in Texas, I enjoyed stargazing outside Meemaw's farm. The city lights are too bright for the smaller stars to be seen, so I suggest going somewhere far away from the city to have a better view of them."

"The stars are small and dim, but at least I can see that they're up there," Penny said, lowering her eyes back to Sheldon's face. "Leonard told me something interesting today and I'm not sure if it's true or not."

"What did he say?"

Penny bit her lip. "He said that you like me?"

Sheldon gave her a small nod. "I like you. I like your company."

"Sheldon, that's not what he meant."

He shrugged his shoulders and moved away from Penny. "It's getting late and I must go back inside."

Penny inched closer. Her voice was low and quiet, sending shivers down on Sheldon's spine. "Tell me."

He sighed defeated. "I'm not sure of what I'm feeling towards you."

"What do you feel, Sheldon?"

He tried to find an excuse to not further their current conversation. "Penny, I do have to go. I-I..."

"Alright," Penny quickly climbed inside her car and drove away without another word. Sheldon stood in the middle of the sidewalk, unsure of what had happened. She deserves to know, but he was afraid. He was afraid of things changing and afraid of those changes becoming bad ones.

He didn't want to risk losing Penny out of his life. At that moment, Penny was the center of his everything.

Sheldon gasped at the thought that flew in his head. Pursuing something that he has not much knowledge of with Penny scares him. With that, Sheldon ran back inside and into the safety of his apartment. Leonard was on his computer and he rushed into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and washed his face as fast as he could before changing into his pajamas and slipping under his blanket.

_It must be hell inside your head._

_At times._

As Sheldon willed himself to sleep, he knew it was hell once again inside his head.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I do love a conflicted Sheldon. **

**Updates will get slower this week. I'm finishing up the next three chapters for this story and at the end of the week, I'm going out of town. I'll see if I can have another one up tomorrow, but no promises :)**

**Oh, and I love reading your reviews. I mention that too many times yet its still not enough.**


	17. Train Day

_"Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one."_

_-Hans Selye_

* * *

Sheldon suffered from fitful sleep last night, and he was incredibly drowsy as he munched on his cereal during breakfast. He tossed and turned in bed, with burning questions flying around his mind. His optimal eight hours of sleep was cut down to merely five, and his eyelids were becoming too heavy to keep them open.

In order to rebuild their friendship, Leonard offered to take Sheldon to work this time. He swore on everything he lived for to never come after Penny, and it hurt him a little inside knowing he can't purse her anymore. But Sheldon was right as usual. He only chased after the blonde only because of her looks. He didn't even know her last name for god sakes!

As Sheldon turned on the shower, he let out a quiet squeal to himself when the hot water made contact with his bare back. For minutes, Sheldon stood motionless under the water spraying from the shower head. He couldn't concentrate on one thing, and when he did, it always reverted back to Penny. Sheldon understood that he wasn't the best at interpreting other people's emotions, and what Penny did the night before baffled him immensely.

He sent her a text before entering the shower, asking her if she was fine. Penny replied seconds later answering that she was, but did not take their current conversation any further. Sheldon mused that he probably upset her because he wasn't saying what was on his mind.

His mind was complicated, a dark maze and uneasy to unravel. It mainly consisted of mathematical equations and theories about the universe, along with the memories and encounters he had at that point. Deeply lodged within it was a small area for his feelings, which Sheldon was both scared and unsure of dealing with.

Leonard knocked on the door, alerting Sheldon that he needed to hurry up if they wanted to get to the university in time. In a flash, Sheldon lathered and rinsed his hair, scrubbing his skin afterwards with a bar of soap. He quickly got dressed for work, but before he walked out of the apartment, he checked his phone one last time, hoping there was a message from Penny.

There wasn't. Sheldon sighed and placed his phone in his back pocket before following Leonard out of the building.

* * *

_Not now. Certainly, this cannot be happening right now._

The gears inside Sheldon's brain kept turning as he stared at the clustered of numbers in front of him. He had the answer on the tips of his fingers, but he still couldn't pinpoint what it is. Earlier in the day, he worked diligently and without any problems. An hour after that, Sheldon found himself stuck at an equation. He was so close to making a breakthrough with his work, and this was his roadblock preventing him from doing so.

His legs were shaking from having to stand in front of the whiteboard for a long period of time. Sheldon leaned beside his desk slightly, his left hand gripping on the edge. As he examined every inch of the board, Sheldon recalled the last time he was stuck on a problem. It was about four years ago, and he was trying to figure out why electrons behave as if they have no mass when traveling through a graphene sheet. He became obsessed with coming up an answer for the question that he acted unusual for a couple of days.

Bernadette suggested that he should work at the Cheesecake Factory for a day when Sheldon asked what menial job he should take. After dropping and shattering plates down on the floor, Sheldon finally had gotten the answer he was looking for.

He was sure that this time that broken glass on the floor wouldn't help him with this problem.

Sheldon heard footsteps approaching and before seeing who it was, Raj had entered his office. "Sheldon, it's past your normal lunch time. Are you okay there?"

His eyes were still glued onto the board. "I can't find the answer. It's right here and I can't find it!"

Raj listened as Sheldon began rambling on a bunch of complex mathematical equations. Raj managed to grab Sheldon's attention by moving the board away from him. "You're thinking too much, buddy. That's the reason why it was hard for you to come up with the answer the previous time this happened."

Sheldon pushed Raj out of his way and rushed to the whiteboard. He picked up the whiteboard marker and wrote more notes down on the side. Raj was getting worried, knowing what could happen if Sheldon doesn't stop.

Sheldon was too occupied to notice that Raj had dug into his messenger bag for his phone.

* * *

"Where is he?" Penny walked down the corridors of the university with Raj on her side. When Raj informed her that Sheldon wasn't acting like himself, it worried her so much that she drove down to Caltech after receiving the phone call. The two stopped in front of Sheldon's office, hearing the sound of paper being torn apart on the other side of the door.

Penny reached out and twisted the doorknob, slowly peeking her head in to see Sheldon sitting on the carpeted floor, tearing papers in half. It wasn't until she touched his shoulder when he realized that someone was in the room with him. She coaxed Sheldon to stand on his two feet, helping him up as he did. She brought her hand up to his hair and fixed it for him, but secretly thought how cute it looked like when it's a bit messy.

"Penny, what are you doing here?" Sheldon asked as Penny straightened his t-shirt.

"I don't have work today and Raj told me how you're stuck on a problem," Penny replied, putting the mess Sheldon made into the trash can.

Sheldon went up to the board again and stared at it. He squinted and then lifted both of his hands up to his face, using them as a telescope, looking through it with his right eye. Penny opened her mouth before Sheldon answered the question she was about to ask. "I'm isolating the terms of the formula and examining them individually."

"Sweetie, I'm worried. You haven't eaten anything for lunch and it's bad for you."

She didn't get a response from him. He barely acknowledged her after that. Penny sighed, and grasped Sheldon's arm, tugging him away from the whiteboard. He resisted, but Penny was too strong for him.

"Where are we going? I'm not finished with my work!" Sheldon said as Penny dragged him out of his office.

Penny led him to the entrance of the university. Sheldon was still clueless in what she was trying to do.

"I'm gonna show you, sweetie, how to loosen up."

Sheldon tensed up, before following Penny to her car parked outside. He climbed into the passenger side, but muttered the equations he had on the whiteboard. Penny tried to change the subject, only to be rewarded by a list of numbers from Sheldon.

* * *

Penny parked her car in front of Carney's in Studio City. She glanced over to her left to see Sheldon in awe. Once she drove into the parking lot of the restaurant, Sheldon had stopped talking as he stared in silence. He couldn't believe that Penny was actually taking him to Carney's! Not only did he enjoy their burgers, he also appreciated the fact that it was converted into a yellow Union Pacific rail car.

Sheldon had suggested Raj to take his sister Priya to this establishment but she decided to stay in Pasadena with Leonard. _Her loss_, he thought as he exited the vehicle along with Penny.

"Surprise!" Penny cheered, uplifting Sheldon's current mood.

Sheldon could smell the faint smell of hot dogs outside. "Why did you take me here?"

"You were stressed out and you need to relieve it by having a train day with me," Penny grabbed his hand and they entered the restaurant.

They were situated at a table next to the window before the waiter gave the two their menus. As they looked over their choices, Penny explained their itinerary for the day. After finishing their meal at Carney's, their next stop would be Travel Town, an outdoor museum featuring 43 railroad engines, cars and other rolling stock from the 1880s to the 1930s. Finally, Penny was going to take them to the Hollywood Carney's. Sheldon couldn't help but smile as he listened to the perfect day that she planned on having with him.

Sheldon ordered his usual Carney's hotdog, while Penny picked the grilled tuna melt. Their food arrived shortly as well as their drinks, and Sheldon thanked Penny for taking him out to Carney's. He was glad that his terrible migraine had subsided and was now munching on one of the best hot dogs he had ever tasted.

"How's your food?" Penny asked.

He gave her two thumbs up. "Absolutely delicious."

A few seconds passed before Penny was able to speak. "We need to talk about last night."

Sheldon's smile was slowly wiped away from his face. "I'd rather not."

"Sheldon, please tell me if you have feelings for me or not. I'm not going to judge or make fun of you."

He wouldn't look up at her eyes. "I'm scared that it will cause you to leave my life."

Penny reached out to put her hand on top of Sheldon's. She was surprised when he didn't flinch this time. "I'm not going to leave you, Sheldon."

He knew that this was it. Now or never. He was willing to take the risk in order to get it out of his system. Penny deserved to know, and it may bring something good to the two of them. "Ever since I met you, I've never felt happier in life. Though I don't remember all but a handful, I know that I have never felt this way before. You make me laugh and I'm always comfortable around you. My mind may be complex, but you try your best to understand me. Your touches, I've never objected to them. You make me the happiest when you choose to spend time with me. The night we watched the Spider Man movie, I studied your features. You are a beautiful woman, inside and out. You care for me and take interest in what I do. I was hoping that there's something more between us."

Penny opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. She was too stunned to hear all of those from Sheldon. "Sheldon, trust me when I say that what you just said is the sweetest thing a person has ever told me. I've never realized that you felt all of this, and I thank you for revealing them all to me."

"What do you think then?"

"Sweetie, I love you, but as a friend. I-I can't risk such a good friendship with you by being in a relationship. It takes commitment to have a long lasting one," Penny said.

"I'm willing to commit to anything as long as you give me a chance."

Penny sighed. "I'm not looking for a relationship right now, Sheldon. It can't be all about relationships for me. I'm happy the way things are right now and I don't wish to change anything."

Sheldon felt his heart break. "Am I, to use your words, not your type?"

She quickly shook her head. "That's not why. Sheldon, you're handsome and smart. Any woman is lucky to have you. Don't be insecure, sweetie. With the job at the Cheesecake Factory plus auditions scheduled in the future, I don't have the time to be in one."

"You're often hanging out with me. What will be different after we start one?"

"Friends and lovers aren't the same thing, Sheldon. Here's what I'll tell you. If things work out, as in my acting career, I'll see if we can take a chance. I'm afraid, Sheldon. Being a relationship, there's some risks. I only see you as a friend, and hopefully it might change."

Sheldon clasped his hands together. "I want you to be happy."

"I'm already am."

"Okay." Sheldon finally knew what it felt like to be rejected. But his hopes went up when he remembered that Penny could give him a chance in the future. "Shall we continue eating?"

"Of course."

* * *

The day continued with no additional talk or mention about Sheldon and his feelings. When Penny dropped Sheldon off in front of his apartment, he knew that he was lucky enough to still have Penny. Whether it'd be friends or lovers, he was delighted to have her in his life.

Before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, Sheldon mumbled under his breath about finally figuring out how to solve the equation he got stuck on.

He silently reminded himself to thank Penny tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Poor Shelly. Rejection is the most painful feeling. At least there's a chance that they'll be together. That's coming up soon ;)  
**

**Again, I do apologize for any errors. I'm uploading this at a Starbucks since I'm on the road. **


	18. Soon

_"You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity."_

_-Epicurus_

* * *

Sheldon and Raj entered the Cheesecake Factory in good spirits. They had just returned from a model train show in Los Angeles and decided to stop by the restaurant for dinner. It was Sunday evening, and the two train enthusiasts wanted to catch up with Penny. She had been working longer hours, and they both knew that she did a big audition earlier in the day.

As they were seated at their usual table, Penny walked over to them, seeming a bit downcast. "Hey, guys. I wasn't expecting you today. How was the train show?"

"It was magnificent. I bought a new train set along with Raj," Sheldon answered gleefully, showing a box containing the train set he mentioned. "How was your day?"

Penny took a deep breath in. "I don't think I did so well on the audition. I flubbed a line or two and may have been too nervous. They probably noticed me shaking. It's just that this part I was auditioning for is huge, well to me it is. I got anxious and messed up on some parts. I wasn't well prepared as I thought I would."

Raj stood up from his seat and gave Penny a comforting hug. She smiled and he situated back down. "If I don't get this role, then I'm in big trouble. I'm behind on my bills and I told Tyler I didn't want to use his money anymore. It's his and I don't deserve any of it."

"What if I loan you money?" Sheldon suggested.

Penny immediately said no. "I just said that I don't want someone's money. I need to work hard for it."

The two men nodded, and Penny began taking their orders. Sheldon wanted his typical barbeque cheeseburger while Raj chose the meat lover's pizza with no meat. She excused herself to place their orders, leaving Raj and Sheldon alone.

"So, what are you doing for your birthday? It's a great time to discuss about it right now, and you know how much I love parties," Raj said.

Sheldon shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not into celebrating my birth with guests and birthday cake."

"Oh, come on. Ain't no party like a koothra-party. It's in a week, and you're finally turning 34!"

"Yes, I will be 34 years old yet still haven't obtained my Nobel Prize," Sheldon sulked.

As they waited for their meals, Stuart approached their table and greeted them before sitting beside Sheldon. He lifted his finger up in the air so none of them would speak as he pulled his bag up to his lap and started rummaging through it. He held in his hand an envelope, placing it in the middle of the table. The three stared at the envelope and each other.

Sheldon pointed his finger at it. "What's inside?"

"Gentlemen, you know how even if we tried so hard, we couldn't get Comic Con tickets for this year?"

Raj and Sheldon nodded, and Stuart sat up straighter, letting a smile appear on his face. "Thanks to a good customer of mine from the other day, I have inside that envelope four tickets to Comic Con 2014!"

"No way, dude!" Raj exclaimed as he opened up the envelope and looked over the tickets. "I can't believe you were able to get us tickets! I was so devastated when Sheldon told us that all tickets were sold out and we weren't able to attend this year. This has got to be the highlight of my life. I haven't missed this convention since I came to America."

Sheldon took hold of one of the tickets. "Who will be our fourth person accompanying us to San Diego?"

"I was thinking that we can bring Penny along." Stuart replied being hopeful about it. "Do you know if she's with anyone right now?"

Sheldon sharply turned his head. "She's with no one at this second."

"She's the first woman who didn't look at me with a threatening a face. I like that in a woman."

Sheldon raised his right hand and karate chopped Stuart in the shoulder. Stuart looked over to him in confusion.

"She's not for you!" Sheldon warned.

"Uh, okay. I'm not good at confrontations, so you can have her." Stuart said, and Sheldon was satisfied by his answer.

Penny emerged from the back of the restaurant with a tray with their orders. She handed Sheldon his burger and Raj his pizza. "How's it going Stuart? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking and I'm not hungry," Stuart replied. Penny turned around but he called out for her. "Penny, are you interested in joining with us at Comic Con this year?"

"You guys got tickets?" Penny asked.

The three nodded excitingly.

"Wow. I don't know. I might have some auditions line up for the summer but I'll see if I can make it. Okay, I gotta go and wait on other tables. I really need the tips to be good this time. Bye guys!"

When Penny left the table, the men talked about their day. Sheldon couldn't hide his excitement over unboxing his new train set. Raj couldn't stop talking about the model trains he saw. Stuart wished that he was as enthusiastic with trains just like his friends. As Raj spoke, a tap on his shoulder caused him to turn his head behind.

He was face to face with a little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, standing on top of his seat. The boy placed his tiny hands on Raj's face and giggled uncontrollably. Before Raj could say anything, a woman picked up the tot and held him in her arms. "I'm so sorry about that. Little Damien here loves going on adventures like getting out of his seat while mommy's on the phone." His mother smothered her child with kisses as he laughed. "I'm Emily." She extended her hand to him, and he graciously accepted, shaking it up and down.

Raj couldn't speak, so he signaled Stuart to sit beside him. He whispered his words in his ear.

"He says his name is Raj," Stuart said on behalf of his friend.

"Why can't you speak to me Raj?" Emily asked.

Raj whispered into Stuart's ear again. "I have selective mutism unfortunately. I can't speak to women."

Emily mouthed an "oh" before speaking again. "That's an interesting predicament you have. In all my years learning psychology, I've never known an actual person with selective mutism. Wow. Is it okay if we talk sometime?"

Raj gasped and quickly nodded. Emily smiled and wrote her number down on a piece of napkin before handing it to Raj. She bent down and picked up her son. "Great. I'll look forward to your text or calls or whatever." Emily waved goodbye, as did Damien, before exciting the Cheesecake Factory.

Stuart stared at him. "You picked up a girl at a restaurant and you didn't have to speak to her!"

Raj didn't bother to wipe the smug look on his face. "Like I've always said, the quiet ones are the most mysterious and intriguing ones."

* * *

Sheldon and Penny watched from the couch as Raj nervously paced around the apartment with his cell phone in his hand. He had requested their presence as soon as he received a text message from Emily an hour ago. Raj still hadn't responded to her yet, not sure on what to say. "I can't do it! Emily's really pretty and I'm bound to screw things up. It's inevitable, so it's probably better if I don't even bother."

Penny stood up and walked towards Raj. She lightly gripped on his wrist, causing them to look face to face. "Raj, you're a great man. You won't screw things up with her."

Raj shook his head and pointed to the wine bottle on top of the coffee table. "I would need to be drunk just to talk to her. Trust me, when I'm intoxicated, it's game over. I'll do some crazy crap and scare her off. We've been talking for three days now, and I like her. Emily hasn't given me any clues yet, but I want to see if she does at the end. She suggested dinner tomorrow night but I don't want to ruin my chances."

"Raj, if I may interject. What if you take those experimental medications that you used when my sister was in town?" Sheldon said.

The other man shrugged. "Those things have side effects, remember? But it wouldn't hurt to use them."

He gave her a nod before his eyes shot up. "I've got an idea! Can you guys come to dinner with us? You don't have to sit with us, but I want you guys to be near enough to oversee the date."

"I supposed that could work," Sheldon stated.

Raj smiled. "Great! If I do something wrong during the night, tell me. At the end, inform me of any mistakes I've done throughout the dinner. I have the tendency to not realize what I have done until a person tells me."

Penny looked over to Sheldon, who gave a silent agreement to the plan. "Okay, Raj. We'll be there."

Raj beamed even more before pulling Penny into a hug. "Thank you so much!"

Sheldon, who was observing all of this from the couch, immediately walked over to the two of them. "That's enough for both of you. Can we please start our first match of Mystic Warlords of Ka'a? I'm anticipating in defeating you two single-handedly."

They pulled away from their hug and the three moved back to the couch. As Raj shuffled the cards, he couldn't help but watch as Sheldon shifted closer next to Penny and looking down on her with what he thought was an adoring face. Penny caught Sheldon's gaze, and they both blushed intensely before Raj began handing out the playing cards.

* * *

Penny stared at her own reflection. She had just finished curling her blonde hair before placing a red flower barrette that she made herself, calling it Penny Blossoms. Twirling her body around, she loved the new dress she purchased a month ago but never had the chance to wear it to somewhere formal. The dress was red, similar to the color of a rose. It was strapless and fit her curves perfectly. The ends of the dress were flailed and reached down to right above her knees. Penny decided that the dress would look good with a pair of black Dolce Vita Suede Balla Sandals she received on her birthday last year.

With a dash of her favorite lip gloss and one final look of herself in the mirror, Penny grabbed her matching handbag before walking out of her apartment and headed downstairs to the lobby. She knew she did a good job when she caught the quick glances of the men passing by her in the halls.

She climbed into her car and proceeded to drive to Sheldon's apartment. Raj reserved a table close to his and Emily's, and hoped that everything goes well tonight. Penny turned her car down Los Robles Avenue and soon was parked in front of the building. She messaged Sheldon that she's waiting for him outside and after a short while, he came out of the apartment wearing his windbreaker. Penny noticed he wasn't wearing his usual plaid pants, and wondered if he opted for a suit for dinner.

"Good evening, Penny. You look very nice for tonight," Sheldon complimented, but wished he had said a different one.

Penny reached out for his hand and patted it softly. "That's really sweet of you. Thank you. What about you? What are you wearing?"

"Mother suggested that I wear suit for the evening. She informed me that showing up in my usual clothing at the restaurant we are currently heading to is not what she considers to be appropriate. I had to purchase a suit in such short notice."

"I bet you look nice in it though."

Sheldon's cheeks blushed. "Will this be considered as a date?"

Penny turned her head to the right. "No, sweetie. We're just two friends eating out at a fancy restaurant. Not a date."

"Oh, alright. It's not a date," Sheldon slightly frowned.

Once they reached the parking lot, Sheldon instantly got out of the car and rushed to the driver's side. He slowly opened Penny's door, in which she turned to him and smiled. "What a gentleman. Thank you, Sheldon." He fought the urge to offer his arm to Penny, afraid that she might think that he thinks it's a date. They entered inside and were directed to the table Raj reserved for them. Sheldon pulled the chair out for Penny, and she thanked him again.

Penny reached for the wine bottle on the table, but Sheldon had taken it before she could hold it. She shot him a confused look and Sheldon shook his head. "Not tonight, Penny. Since I cannot drive, you have to when we leave. Drinking and driving is against the law. I certainly do not want the both of us to end up in a fiery car crash."

She chuckled. "Sweetie, I'm just going to have one glass not chug the whole bottle."

"Half a glass." Sheldon said as a counter-offer.

"If it makes you feel any better, I won't have a drink tonight," Penny replied and Sheldon seemed content with her response. "Anyways, what's new in your life?"

Sheldon thought for a moment. "I was recently told that I need to attend a fundraiser at the university in three weeks. For some reason, I'm not looking forward to it."

"That sounds fun though. It's basically like a party and you get to dress up. I like dressing up."

"Maybe you can attend the function with me," Sheldon hesitantly said. "If you're interested."

Penny nodded. "I would love to attend the fundraiser with you."

A few minutes later, Raj and Emily appeared, sitting to the table directly adjacent towards theirs. Penny told Sheldon to listen and remember every word that comes out of Raj's mouth. Before he entered the restaurant, Raj took the experimental drug and fortunately, he didn't suffer from the terrible side effects. But as the night proceeded, Penny knew that it was unnecessary. He was doing great and Emily appeared to be enjoying the outing with him. Penny overheard Emily asking if Raj was with anyone at the moment, to which he said no.

"I like you, Raj. You're so sweet and funny and just genuine. I really hope we can get closer," Emily said and Raj couldn't help but grin.

"Same here," Raj responded.

Penny knew the two had hit it off pretty well. They seemed so comfortable with each other and look like a cute couple. Both had an interest in romantic novels and much more.

As she thought all of this, Penny didn't realize that the man sitting across from her was looking at her the whole time.

Sheldon couldn't take his eyes off Penny, and he was afraid that she'll catch him. He knew that she was an attractive woman, and tonight was no exception. He was glad that a woman like Penny was friends with him. Sheldon remembered the awful names he was called by the bullies, and how he was told he would never get a girl. He proved them wrong though.

He has Penny.

* * *

"Here we are, 2311 North Los Robles Ave."

Sheldon unbuckled his seat belt but didn't leave the car yet. He stared at his hands resting on his lap as silence filled the air. In his head, he tried to come up with something to say. He gulped, and looked at Penny. "Our first date was very memorable."

"Sweetie, it wasn't a date," Penny reminded him, but Sheldon refused to accept the fact.

"If it was, did you enjoy it?" Sheldon hesitantly asked.

They locked eyes for a moment, blue ones staring into green. Sheldon reluctantly reached out to grab her hands and placed them into his. He hoped that her answer was what he wanted to hear. He listened to their steady breaths as he slowly squeezed Penny's soft hands. Both hadn't broken their gaze of one another. He felt his heat beat faster when Penny licked her lips. The wait was agonizingly slow, but the quiet exchange of looks was thrilling.

Penny opened her mouth to speak, and Sheldon's eyes lit up once she said that one word.

"Yes."

Penny didn't dare to repeat to him about how she has not interest in being with someone. She would have been lying if she did.

Peaceful and serene. It felt right.

The way his blue eyes were locked on hers sent a chill down her spine. It was as if she had been awoken from a deep sleep. His light grip of her hands was enough to make her body ache for more. The moment was intense and a bit passionate.

Maybe there is something lying between the two. Maybe this was her chance to begin a brand new chapter in her life. She released the deep breath she had in her and gently brought her hand up to Sheldon's face. As her palm touched his cheek, she could feel him tremble slightly. Penny pushed her first idea she had in mind, which was kiss him right there. She needed more time to think and see if this was a good idea. She leaned towards him and pressed her lips on the side of his face.

When she pulled back, Sheldon's eyes were still following her every movement. A shift in their friendship has been made, and there was no turning back now.

"Soon, Sheldon," Penny spoke in which Sheldon nodded.

"I'll be waiting," he promised.

She smiled, and oh, how that smile caused the figurative butterflies in his stomach to flutter around. Sheldon released his hold on her other hand before saying his goodbye. Penny watched him exit the car and walk up to the front door of the apartment building. He unlocked the door, but before stepping inside, he waved at the blonde one last time, and was soon gone from her sight.

Penny froze. She didn't bother to ignite the engine of her car until she was quite composed of herself.

Sheldon was an honest man, and every time they spent with each other were ones that she would cherish for life. She turned on the radio, and the song Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop started to play.

_I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you_  
_ Yes there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you._  
_ I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down_  
_ I want to come too_

_ I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you_

_ No one understands me quite like you do_  
_ Through all of the shadowy corners of me_

She quietly sang to herself until the song ended.

He said he'll wait. Sheldon promised, and from what she knows about him, he never breaks promises.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Well, here starts the romance portion of the story. I couldn't have them just fall in love all of a sudden.**

**Yeah, I got a lot of reviews saying what Penny did was crappy the chapter prior and I understand where you're all getting that. I wanted her to be a character that doesn't need to be in a relationship every minute. She only sees Sheldon as a friend and doesn't want to further it anymore. I'm sorry I upset you and I'm not the most amazing writer here. I tend to leave things out or make the readers misunderstand. This chapter was a huge apology and hopefully to get things right.**

**I'm not gonna update for a while. Need to clear things in my head.**


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